Have You Seen a Dragon Around?
by LightninKazza
Summary: Two warriors, children of heroes, have been tasked with a mission: They are to hunt down those who have lost their minds to immortality. Arriving in a new world, Remnant, they seek to continue their task, only to get swept up in conflict. With power on both sides, each possessing skills never before seen by the pair, they have one question: Have you guys seen a dragon around?
1. Prologue: Two Strangers Arrive

**Have You Seen A Dragon Around?**

 **Disclaimer: I'll admit this story came into my head while playing the (then) new** _ **Fire Emblem Warriors**_ **, and debating how screwed that game made the small semblance of a timeline the series had. There will be little in the way of experience, talent, or competence.** _ **You have been warned.**_

 **Prologue: Two Strangers Arrive.**

It was a quiet day. With nary a cloud in the sky, the sun shone brightly down upon a nearly empty forest. Devoid of any humans, the wild animals scurried around, searching for their next meal while avoiding the only other occupants.

The creatures of Grimm. Beasts of pure malice, created in pale imitation of the creatures of the land. They were hunters of humanity, a seemingly endless army set only on the annihilation of all sentient life. Just like the animals they resembled, they stalked the woods, looking for prey to kill.

Yet, there was no one there. As such, the beasts were content to simply wait, until they could feel the negative emotions that spurred their instincts. As macabre of a peace as it was, it was still tranquil. It was still quiet.

That quiet was shattered with a low rumble. Reverberating throughout the forest, the rumble grew in volume until it brought the attention of every beast it could reach. At the center of it all, a small blue light formed. Steadily growing with the rumble, the light soon formed into a large shape. And then, just as soon as it started, the rumbling stopped. With the disturbance gone, the distracted beasts returned to their rounds.

However, the shape still remained. If a human were there to observe, they would notice the ovular shape seemed to be made of water. Water suspended in midair, but still water. The placid surface moved barely an inch, and remained as still as the quiet of the forest, unperturbed by gravity. However, if one were to take a closer look, they would find something even odder. Despite the width of the oval being minuscule at best, one could not see through to the other side. Instead, all the oval offered was light blue water, seemingly endless.

If they were to look even closer, they would see a small figure, slowly approaching the edge. Within seconds, the figure reached the edge of the water, and put their hand towards the surface. The hand breached the water, and the body soon followed, tumbling face first into the ground.

"OOF!"

The figure was obviously a young female, judging by the pitch of the voice, but the hood she wore over her head made that hard to discern. Despite just coming out of a portal of water, her purple robe was remarkably dry, and her gloved hands reached out to push herself up into a sitting position. Rubbing her head, the figure stood up, taking stock of her surroundings.

"Ok… Still can't open a portal over a body of water." She began, "Maybe I should just let Lilith handle it next time, huh?" Her voice sounded expectant, but when no one answered, she turned back towards the portal that brought her here, only to note with disappointment that the portal was already closing. Within seconds, it was completely gone, leaving only her as any evidence it had existed in the first place. With a disgruntled sigh, she turned away from the portal, reaching into her cloak.

After rummaging for a bit, she pulled out a small compass. Curiously, there were no markings of the cardinal directions, only the point held within glass casing. Tapping upon the surface, she waited as the small dial turned towards northwest. Revolving her body so that the point aligned with what would be north, she began to walk. As she strode through the forest, the point would occasionally tip towards another direction, which she corrected with a quick turn of her own.

Unfortunately for her, her movements were not quiet enough, and she soon found herself approached by one of the forest's inhabitants. A wolf-like beast, hunched downward and with a dreadful snarl. It slowly approached her, its red eyes trained intently on its prey. The girl, for her part, simply tucked away the compass, and locked eyes with the creature.

"Huh… So, I guess you're the common monster in this world, huh?" She tilted her head, "Pretty average strength… Bit of defense… But your resistance… Just a grunt, then?" The wolf refused to answer, if it even could, and prepared to charge. "Just a quick question: Are you a Beowulf, a species of Grimm; or are you a Grimm, a species of Beowulf?"

Her only answer was a roar, as the wolf grew tired of waiting and dashed forward. Despite the difference in size, the girl remained calm, even as the beast raised a claw aimed at her head. In an instant, there was a flash of light, and the beast flew past her…

With its head missing.

"And that speed…" She clicked her tongue, and let her arm rest at her side, now holding the weapon that killed the beast. The weapon certainly looked silly, as it appeared to be a sword fashioned to look like a lightning bolt. However, no matter what it looked like, the fact that the beast only had a stump for a head, already cauterized, showed that there was more to it than it appeared.

Turning towards the corpse, she was mildly surprised to see it disappearing into the air. Black wisps of smoke seeped from its remains, and with it the black mass of the creature began to shrink away. The girl walked up to it, poking it with the tip of her sword, but the smoke did not stop. Soon, the corpse disappeared, leaving the ground spotless. The girl seemed mildly disappointed, but turned around, returning the sword to her cloak and fishing the compass back out.

Looking at the compass, she was surprised to see the pointer moving erratically towards northeast and northwest. That was usually a good sign, as it meant he was close enough that slight movements would trigger the compass. This was also a bad sign, because he was moving a _lot_ , and that usually meant fighting.

Any questions she had, however, were soon put to rest as a low hissing sound emerged from the trees in front of her. Moving her gaze from the compass, she came face-to-face with another beast. While the last specimen was less-than-impressive, the one in front of her gave her pause. A large serpent, pure black except for the red of its eyes, the white of its fangs, and the emblem on its head. Creeping towards the girl, a long black tongue escaped its mouth, hoping to enjoy its next meal.

The girl took a step back, placing the compass back into her cloak and rummaging for something else. The snake continued its approach, rearing its head back slightly in preparation for an attack. "So…" the girl began, "Grimm it is then…"

Before she could utter another word, the snake lunged, its maw open to snatch its prey. The girl, thinking quickly, dodged to her right, side-stepping the serpent with impressive speed. Despite her life being in danger, the girl had a smile upon her face as she pulled her hand from her cloak. Spinning on her heel, the girl faced the beast, now with a large book in hand. The beast swiveled its head to look at her, preparing another lunge.

"I will say though, for a monster so big, your resistance couldn't be smaller." She opened her book, holding it steady in one hand, with her other raised above her head. If the beast had the intelligence of its elder brethren, it would find the action suspicious, especially given how her hand seemed to have a faint green glow.

However, it was still a relative newborn, only focused on its hunger. With nary a thought, the beast launched its head towards the girl, who again simply smiled at the eminent danger.

"ELWIND!"

With a proud cry, the girl swept her arm in an arc, producing a green blade seemingly out of thin air. Flying with the speed of the wind it was named after, it cut through the snake with complete ease, cleaving off a good third of its head with a single stroke. The beast, all momentum lost from the spell, fell limply to the ground, without even a last flinch of life.

The girl, seemingly disappointed again, simply closed the book and began walking towards the corpse. Before she could make it, a rustling from behind her got her attention.

"Sssssssssssss… You killlllllllllllllled my brotheeeeeeer…" A high-pitched voice spoke out, causing her to slowly twirl around to face the speaker. It was another serpent, just like the one she had previously killed, only colored pure white in complete inversion to its 'brother'.

"Preeeeeepare yourseeeeeeelf…" It spoke again, slightly shaking, "For I will get reveeeeeeenge…" The girl seemed to roll her eyes, walking towards the serpent with crossed arms. While she should have been suspicious of the fact it could speak, unlike its companion, the fact that it had no resistance to speak of left her with no fear. Besides, it wasn't even moving its mouth, so frankly she wasn't buying it.

Well, that and the giant gash where she assumed its right eye - and a majority of its face - was at some point.

"Start beiiiiiiiing afraaaaaaaaid… I'm going to eaaaaaaat you… Grrrrrrrrr…" It continued.

"Snakes don't growl y'know."

"…Hisssssssss… Of course I knoooooooooow that… That was my stomaaaaaaaach… 'Cause I'm huuuuuuuungry for yoooooooou…"

"You're such a dork, Kana."

"Aw, how'd you know it was me?" The snake was thrown aside, revealing the young boy speaking from underneath. He was obviously younger than the girl, being only eleven or twelve at the most. He had spiky white hair, framing red eyes. His arms were crossed behind his head, and he was smiling with glee. It gave any observers a good view of his pointed teeth, as well as his slightly pointed ears. He wore a rather intricate suit of white armor, capped off with a cape of blue tied around his neck in a bandana. Peeking out of the bandana was a small necklace, containing a dull grey stone.

"Where'd you end up?" The girl answered, pulling down her hood. Her messy head of hair was colored blue, and her brown eyes looked upon the boy with amusement.

"Sorry, Morgan, but I didn't trust your portal…" Kana averted his gaze. "I waited 'till you went through and had Lilith make one instead."

"Y'know, when someone says, 'Looks good, follow me', aren't you supposed to, I dunno, _follow_ her?"

"…Sorry." Kana looked down, dejected.

"Stop that. It doesn't work on me anymore." Despite her words being somewhat harsh, Morgan soon gained a grin as she spoke. Morgan gave his hair a small ruffle, causing the boy to bat her hand off.

"Hehe." Kana's original mood returned almost instantly, scratching his head with a nervous laugh.

"Anyway…" Morgan's expression suddenly turned serious. "We're both here, so now we just need to find the Hero, the Oracle, and the Dragon."

"Any ideas?"

"Well, there's always the way these tales usually start…"

"Hm?"

"We fight some bandits."

* * *

Raskin was not having a good day.

It was one of those days that, as soon as he woke up, he knew it would be nothing but trouble.

Waking up with a massive hangover? Sucks, but hardly enough to ruin your day.

Getting chewed out by Bart for drinking late at night? Hell, that was practically routine at this point.

Punished by forcibly being sent on morning patrol? He could deal with that.

Waking up with a hangover, and getting caught by Raven of all people, though, was enough to tip the day into a disaster. The worst part was, it had barely even gotten to noon.

"All clear on this end." A clear voice spoke from his left. He turned to see his buddy, Kaine, walking up to him. "Seems we can head back early."

"Dunno about that." Raskin answered back. "We haven't gotten a good haul in a good while. Think it's starting to get to the Chief. We should probably keep searching 'till we find something to bring back."

"You in hot water or somethin'?"

"Shut it."

"Oh shit, you are. Spill it, what'd you do this time?" Raskin grumbled in reply, but soon continued.

"She caught me this morning after our little party last night. Was not too happy to see me half-asleep and hungover."

"See, I told you to stop while you were ahead."

"Nah, pretty sure you were the one callin' me a lightweight."

"Then you need to practice your escape routes better."

"Come off it." Despite his reply, Raskin had a small smile forming on his lips.

"So, you think people are startin' to catch on?"

"Probably. Knowing the Chief, we'll probably have to pack up and move on soon. Head for greener pastures and all that."

As the two spoke, another pair of scouts began to return from their mission, and judging by their relaxed conversation, they had just as much luck. Still, Raskin, being the paragon of leadership that he was, still felt the need to ask.

"You find anything?"

"Nah, man." One of them returned, "'Bout as empty as my stomach. Why don't we head back?"

"Doesn't work like that." Raskin lied, "Chief said we need to find something soon, else we don't get dinner."

"I don't remember her sayin' anything 'bout that." The other scout said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"'Course not. Comes with being made leader of the scouting party. Some things you just don't tell to the grunts."

"Who made you leader?"

"I'm sorry, wanna take it up with the Chief?" Noticing the scout's silence, Raskin smiled. "Didn't think so. Now listen up! We've gotta find somethin', or we don't go back. Now get movin'! The perfect catch ain't just gonna wander into our hands!"

"Oh, look. Told you I heard someone!" A new voice entered the conversation, and all four scouts turned to look at the new entrant.

It was a little kid, just barely reaching up to their stomach height. While his white hair and red eyes were pretty striking, what really caught their attention was the clothes he was wearing. Some sort of pseudo-armor, polished clean and held together by expertly tied bands. The kid obviously wasn't from around here, and judging by the quality of his armor, he was probably some lost rich kid. Well, if that was the case, then surely his parents would be so happy they found him, they wouldn't mind paying a small… finder's fee.

"Nice work, Kana." Another voice rung in, and the owner soon followed after him. It was a girl, taller and older than him, but obviously wasn't related due to her dark blue hair. While her own clothes weren't nearly as impressive, they were obviously expensive, so that meant she was probably his nanny or something. Well, here's hoping his parents valued her as much as him.

"You were saying?" Kaine spoke next to him, already reaching for his knife.

"Well, howdy folks. You seem lost." Raskin started to approach them with his arms outstretched, and to his delight, they didn't even flinch. That meant they were easy targets, probably never been in danger their entire lives. "We'd be happy to escort you back home, so why don't you come with us?"

"Yeah, before we start this, just want to make sure: You guys are bandits, right?" The girl, impassively, pointed at Raskin, causing his grin to widen slightly.

"Well, not many 'round here don't know about our Chief. We work for Raven Branwen, ring any bells?"

The girl, for her part, simply tilted her head, as if in thought. "No, not really. In case you didn't notice, we aren't really from around here. So this Raven person, is he the main guy to talk to for information?"

" _She's_ the boss 'round these parts." Kaine answered, "If I were you, wouldn't want to get on her bad side."

"Got it." The girl continued, giving a thumbs-up. "So, you mind taking us to meet her?"

"Well, sure. Long as you don't mind giving up your clothes, any lien you got on you, and… hmm, wonder if we have some rope."

"Well, as much as we would love to listen to you blather on about how _tough_ , and _dangerous_ , and _scawy-wawwy_ you are, we've got things to do. So please, take us to the Raven lady, or face the consequences."

"You ain't in no position to give orders, hon. Here's mine: Give up your shit, or we strip it off your corpse."

At this, the young boy's face suddenly grew serious, and he began to walk towards the four. How cute, kid trying to be a hero for his nanny. Too bad he doesn't realize the trouble, but hey, have to blame the parents for hiring such a _terrible_ nanny.

"Wait up, Kana. I have a question." The girl grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping his walk and causing him to look backwards. Turning towards the four, again, the girl asked:

"Hey, have any of you seen a dragon around?"

It took them a couple seconds to register what she said, but Kaine seemed to recover the fastest. "You mean the flying kind?"

"Yeah, big, usually fire-breathing, preferably without some damsel in its clutches."

The four scouts turned to each other, as if to affirm they all heard the same thing. They then began to laugh, causing the girl's face to darken, slightly. The laughter continued for a few seconds, and they soon stopped, Kaine even taking the chance to wipe a fake tear from his eye.

"Guess that's a no." The girl said, capping off with a dejected sigh. "'Kay, Kana… These guys seem… Hm?" She stopped in her tracks, and her bored face was replaced with a look of confusion. "What's with your strength and defense? Those are some pretty decent buffs…"

"You trying to back out?" Raskin asked, condescension clear in his voice.

"Oh, don't worry about her." The boy said, "She's just making a plan."

"Well, have fun with that. In the meantime, why don't you come with us?"

"The hell's a Semblance?" The girl cut in again, but quickly shook her head. "Questions for later I guess. Kana, these guys are decent enough, but there's barely an ounce of skill between the lot of them. Only one with the strength to even dent you is the big guy back there, so hit him first and hit him hard. Looks like there's two more coming in from the east as well. Make sure you take care of these guys by the time they get here. Otherwise, have fun."

"Got it!" The boy returned, joyously. With a skip in his step, he began a walk towards the four.

Raskin really felt sorry for the kid, but hey, at least he was brave. He was going to need that for the next few days. Then again, even with his own age and experience, he wouldn't walk face-first into four armed bandits. Maybe it was less 'brave' and more 'stupid.' Ah well, he wouldn't rough him up too much. Kid deserved that, at the very least, for finally giving him a good haul.

That may have been the last positive thought Raskin had for the next few days.

 **Prologue End:**

 **Author's Notes:**

Hello, all.

Thank you for taking a look at my first story. While it may have taken a bit to get started, it's actually really gratifying to get something out.

Anyways, I'd love to know what you think so far. Of course, please be perfectly honest with both any approval and criticism. Don't worry about me: There's nothing I encourage more than pedantry!

In all seriousness, though, I do not enjoy unsubstantive comments. It doesn't really leave anywhere to go. As such, I would like to ask if you all could keep this in mind as you read on: This story is not just to entertain. It is a sort of practice to me in order to balance comedy, character, and narrative without compromising one for the other two. So, in all honesty, I'd like your opinion on that. Let me know if any scenes just don't work. Let me know if a joke is mistimed and stops a scene, or if I'm compromising a character as I have written them for a cheap one.

I feel like I should also leave something for you all to speculate about, as well. Here's a question: Who do you think Morgan's mother and Kana's father is, since I've gone with male Robin and female Kamui? I think it's fairly obvious, since I mostly gave it away with their hair color, but let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 1: Meetings, Threats, Etc

**Disclaimer: While I would say there is no definitive answer to the question, "Which of the Overlord OP's is the best?," I would say they at least always deliver on a sense of quality. While I would personally order it "Clattanoia", "Crazy Scary Holy Fantasy" (Even though that's technically not one), "Voracity", then "Go Cry Go", not a single one of them would I actively avoid listening to.**

 **Can't say the same for the Endings, though. They just got progressively worse. Like, "L.L.L." delivered on the fun beat with a Yandere love song, but holy Hell, "Hydra" bored me to tears, and I have yet to actually be invested enough in Season 3's Ending to learn what it's called. Apparently, it's by OxT, so why the Hell did they not bring back that "Clattanoia/GCG" spirit?**

 **Like, Overlord's built on parody. Why play such an important part straight? The second you make the Ending this super serious thing, you make it just another epic song, with very little identity. "Clattanoia" is a poppy autotuned song about the slow loss of identity and Ainz's indifference to it. "Go Cry Go" is meta, you're supposed to be pumped Overlord's back after two years, and the opening animation was a reward to all the LN readers. "Voracity" ties into the theme of Ainz's ambition, comparing it to an addiction or hunger. When the endings sound like these morose songs you could get from somewhere else, about how much it sucks to… I'm not sure. Ainz is a bitchin' skeleton king. I'm not pumped for the next episode, 'cause a song like these make me think I'm watching a terrible teen drama.**

 **Some camp and gags are necessary. Like, don't be ashamed of your brand, just because it was a Light Novel. At least, I hope that's not the case. 'Cause when you take away the fun, the comedy, playing everything straight, you turn into a poor, hollow shell of what you're supposed to be adapting.**

 **Kinda like they did with Jircniv. HEY-O!**

 **And yes, Overlord is worth reading/watching.**

 **Chapter 1: Meeting, Threats, and Everything in Between.**

It was a disaster.

There was no other word Raskin could think of.

One kid just tore through six armed bandits in less than a minute.

Correction: The kid tore through six armed bandits, weaponless, in less than a minute, and was currently standing over his prostrate form with an innocent smile of glee.

Raskin could honestly say he would be less terrified if it was a hungry, drooling Grimm.

"Is it already over?" The girl asked, "Sorry, Kana. I blinked and missed it." Idly kicking the comatose form of Kaine, she continued to walk over until she stood next to the kid. "Anyway, you ready to take us to Raven? Or do we need to find someone else?"

"N-no Ma'am!" Raskin squeaked out, climbing onto all fours in a bowing posture. "I'm sorry." It was _definitely_ one of those days.

Two hunters. Of all the luck, how'd they end up threatening two hunters? The Hell were they doing wandering around the woods?

"Good. Lead the way, Gruntson."

"I-it's Raskin, Ma-"

"Sorry, only winners get names, Gruntson. Speaking of which, I don't like 'Ma'am', makes me feel old. The name's Morgan, and this precious Cinnamon-Bun who can rip you apart with his bare hands…" She thumbed to the kid, "…Is Kana."

"No problem, Morgan."

"I'm sorry, did I say we were friends, Gruntson? It's Mrs. Morgan to you. You can call him Mr. Kana." She seemed to be finished, but Kana looked at her expectantly. Within seconds, Morgan sighed, and continued. "Actually, call him Sir Kana of Hoshido, _Ultra-Esquire_."

"I'm sorry. No problem, Mrs. Morgan."

"Much better. Now, lead the way."

* * *

In the city of Vytal, a lone figure walked the empty streets in the dead of night. He was immaculately dressed, in a finely pressed white military uniform. His short blond hair was combed in a simple style, barely a lock out of place. One hand was held at his side, tucked into a pocket in his suit, while the other held on to a briefcase, hidden from view by a glove. While his face was relatively plain, he had an incredibly interesting feature.

His right eye was normal, colored blue, but his other eye seemed to be incased entirely in red crystal. While a pupil was not visible, the fact that he wore no eyepatch proved it somehow did not hamper his visibility.

He seemed out of place, as well dressed and disciplined as he was, but his strides betrayed his confidence. Step by step, he approached his destination with practiced ease, his eyes barely wandering to take in the sights.

Within minutes, he arrived in front of a dilapidated church, stopping to observe the sight of the statue in front. While it once may have depicted the two brothers many attributed the creation of humanity to, years of abandonment and vandalization had reduced it to an obscenity covered mess. With a sigh, the man walked towards the entrance, picking up the sound of music and laughter from within.

He opened the door with a small push, but it was apparently enough to gain the attention of those within. Several teenagers turned their attention to the new occupant, clearly not expecting someone. Several of them sported tattoos and piercings, and many had bottles of alcohol in their hands, already opened and half empty.

If he had less important business, he may have said something admonishing, or maybe imparted some wisdom, but he had no such time.

"Oh, pardon me. Didn't mean to intrude." He spoke, waving his arm dismissively. "Just looking for an old friend. Please return to your business."

This didn't seem to deter one member, a rather large young man, from standing up an approaching. A cruel grimace graced his features, which the intruder mirrored with a disapproving frown.

"And just who are you?" The young man asked, cracking his knuckles. "Don't know if you're just looking for a fight, or if you're lost, but I suggest you turn around before you get hurt."

"Ah, it seems we've gotten off on the wrong foot." The man returned, gaining an honest smile, "Let's begin with introductions. My name is Thomas Stardust," He held out his hand, as if preparing for a handshake, "and as I said, I'm looking for an old friend. I heard from a little bird that he came here often, under the name 'The Saint.'" At this, several of the teenagers let out small gasps, and a few started creeping towards the exit.

"Well, much as we'd love to help out a friend of 'The Saint', we're not in the business of welcomin' narcs. So, I'll repeat myself, just one more time: Either walk out the way you came in, or we throw you out…" He took out a small knife at this, which did not go unnoticed by Thomas. "…Let's make sure it's not in a body bag."

Thomas gave a small sigh as he pocketed his hand, his handshake denied. He truly didn't want to fight, especially against a teenager who didn't know who he was threatening. However, he just didn't have the time to waste…

"HOLD IT!" A bombastic voice called out, grabbing the attention of nearly everyone anticipating a fight. Turning their attention to the source, all eyes turned onto a man sitting on the stairs to the second floor.

He was slovenly dressed, with what could barely be called a dress shirt unbuttoned at every point. His jeans were ripped and damaged at several points, and a chain served as a belt. He had several piercings on his right ear, and some sort of tattoo going from his left shoulder to his neck. His blonde hair was cut to the scalp on his right side, but the left and top were allowed to grow uncontrolled. While he appeared drunk, especially with the half-drunk bottle in his hand, his green eyes contained a certain focus that couldn't be denied.

"I CAME OUT HERE TO SEE WHAT THIS RUCKUS WAS ALL ABOUT!" He slurred out, slowly standing up. "ACTUALLY… I CAME OUT HERE TO SEE WHAT STOPPED THE RUCKUS! SERIOUSLY!" He took a long swig from his bottle, emptying the contents within in moments. He then staggered forwards, stumbling a bit as he approached the guest. "And who do I find but Tommy Boy himself…" As his voice quieted, he put a hand on Thomas's shoulder, which caused him to raise an eyebrow in response.

"HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER! HOW YOU BEEN MAN?! HAHAHA!" He descended into laughter, which was soon nervously followed by several of the teenagers around. Soon, the laughter turned genuine, as a fight had been avoided completely.

"Don't worry, Johnny." The man spoke to the younger man. "Tommy and I go way back. He ain't interested in causin' trouble. Just get back to your partying…" He patted the now named Johnny on his back, which seemed to placate him and cause him to return to his friends. He then stretched his arm towards Thomas, as if expecting a hug, which he nervously gave.

"Care to tell me what you're doing here?" The man spoke, his previous slurring gone.

"Just to talk, for now." Thomas returned. The man broke the hug, a smile still present on his face. However, he soon tilted his head towards the second floor, in a silent command.

'Follow me.'

He turned around, and Thomas followed. If one were to carefully observe the man, they would notice his movements were much more coordinated then a couple moments ago. Thomas certainly did, but held his observation.

Soon, the two reached the indicated room, which the man opened and entered. It appeared to be the office of the old priest, as there was a desk in the center with a couple chairs strewn around. It looked as dilapidated as every other part of the church, but he wasn't one to judge. What was more pressing was the young girl, standing against the wall with her arms crossed. She seemed to take the man's fashion statements to her own heart, as she wore a similar outfit, albeit thankfully buttoned up for modesty. Her short blonde hair was also shaved on the left side instead of the right, and she lacked the tattoo on her neck. She could honestly pass as his daughter, which Thomas dearly hoped wasn't the case.

"It's cool." The man said, potentially to either party. "Rudie, Tommy. Tommy, Rudie."

Thomas again held out his hand in greeting, which the girl, Rudie, responded to with her own. She still said nothing, instead staring deeply into his eyes with her own blue orbs.

"A pleasure." Thomas said, gentleman to a fault that he was.

"Eye thing is kinda cool, ain't it?" The man said to Rudie, before sitting down in the seat behind the desk, putting his legs on top of it. "Anyway, back to business." He focused his eyes on Thomas, as Rudie returned to her previous spot on the wall. "What… do you want?"

"Well, James, glad to see you have remained sober." Thomas returned, with a small smile as he sat down himself. "Then again, I'm pretty sure you still retain your immunity, am I wrong?"

"Jimmy." He returned, "And the show's for the kids. Can't scare 'em off, so I play drunk every now and then. Makes them think of me as that fun guy in the church, y'know."

"Well, that's all well and good, but 'The Saint'?"

"Hey, I live in the church, and I'm a nice guy. What do you want? These kids aren't geniuses."

"Noted. Anyway, is… Rudie aware of your past?"

"Yeah. 'Course she is. Consider her my second-in-command."

"Excellent, so I believe I should explain my own." Crossing his legs in a refined pose, he continued. "As he said, my name is Thomas Stardust, of the Atlesian Military."

"See, he always has to use full names. Can't think of one for you."

"Regardless, I held the rank of Captain during James' tenure with the military. We both served under Sergeant Pepper, but where James served as an assassin, I was in charge of reconnaissance." The girl didn't respond to his story, but obviously held rapt attention to him. "Anyway, are you both aware of the breach?"

"You mean that invasion of Grimm a while back?" James answered, "Yeah, kinda hard to ignore a horde of Grimm in your backyard."

"Yes, invasion. That is, of course, the public story." Thomas nodded his head, cupping his chin. "But as we both are aware, there is always a truth behind a simple story. The Grimm didn't invade; they were baited. We do not know the full story, but due to the actions of a couple Hunters-in-training, we know who was responsible…"

He placed the briefcase upon the desk, and undid the lock, pulling out a small folder. He placed it in front of James, who took it and opened it, with Rudie peering over his shoulder.

"Roman Torchwick." Thomas continued, answering an unspoken question. "A rather infamous criminal around these parts, as I'm sure you're aware. What's more, we know that he had assistance from a certain… group." James grabbed another picture, this one displaying the all-too familiar symbol of the White Fang.

"The White Fang. As I'm sure you're aware, they've gone through a change in leadership, and with it, a change in methods. It seems working with a criminal such as Torchwick pertains to their new philosophy."

James gave a motion with his hand, indicating Thomas should get on with it.

"Anyway, from what our mole has told us-"

"Oh, is Rocky still kicking?"

"Our _ANONYMOUS_ mole."

"Thirty Lien it's Rocky."

"…He has told us that the main orchestrator of the alliance was one Adam Taurus: The Boar."

"The Boar?"

"Ah, so you're unaware…" Thomas grasped his fingers together. Oh, how he loved his lectures. "Before I answer that question, who do you believe leads the White Fang?"

"That one lady, Somethin'-Khan, right?"

"Sienna Khan, and you are partially correct. She is the main public leader of the White Fang, but she is not the only source of power." Reaching into the briefcase, he pulled out a large stack of files, twelve in total, laying them across the desk. Pointing to one, he continued. "This is our intel on Sienna Khan: The Tiger. While she holds some views we would classify as extremist, she is still preferable to some of the other Twelve."

"The Twelve?"

"The White Fang used to be unified under one leader, but as its numbers grew, several others were elected. It eventually became commonplace for there to be one public leader, with three others. This would allow there to be a leader for each Kingdom, and this number soon grew to accompany two generals under each main leader. Sienna Khan is influential, to be sure, but she is only one of four."

"Yeah, I'm done reading."

"Among the other three leaders are Ryu Kenshu: The Dragon; Carmen Reath: The Phoenix; and Asmord Deus: The Serpent. I take it I do not have to explain they are all Faunus bearing the features of their title."

"Ok, so what does this have to do with Taurus?"

"Come now, you're an intelligent man." He pointed to the other folders, "As I said, each leader has two generals under them, usually awarded the title through martial valor or courage on the field. Serving under Sienna Khan is Adam Taurus: The Boar; and Ewan Lu: The Horse."

"Ok, I get the pattern. Let's get to the point."

"Anyways, there had been plenty of infighting among the leaders and generals. You can mainly separate it into two camps: Those of the old White Fang, such as Carmen Reath, who wish to remain relatively neutral, or those of the newer White Fang, such as Ryu Kenshu, who wish to take more active measures. Needless to say, certain generals do not partake to specific sides, and a… revolution is on the horizon."

"So, I take it the military wants these friendly leaders to stay, and the others to go?"

"Fantastic observation." Thomas continued, "There is just the small caveat that any death within the anti-moderate faction will in fact only spur on further resistance through martyrdom. After all, if a human or pro-human group is responsible, that would only further their goals." He closed his eyes, as if in thought, "No, there is only one option that would work without total annihilation of the White Fang: Subterfuge."

"I'm listening."

"It is no secret among the ranks of the White Fang that the Twelve infight amongst themselves for power. It would be no surprise if one took it a step further and actively cut down their competition. Therefore, we should… accelerate the process."

"So, frame them, then?"

"That, among other techniques. And that brings me here…" James took a slow breath, as he leaned back in his chair. "You were trained to be one of the greatest assassins in the military, but your… suicide left us with no recourse but to erase your records. You are an unknown, so even if there was a counterspy with access to our files, they would have no knowledge of you or your techniques."

"You know I left for a reason, right?"

"A reason I respect, and why I am here in person. I know you grew tired of the killing, I truly do."

"No, you don't. I finished the jobs you needed me for, so you decided to put me in your debt. Now you're here to collect."

"Believe what you may, I have no intention of threats, coercion, or force. I am simply what you claimed me to be: An old friend, looking for help. If you decide not to, then I will simply leave, I will not report your location to the military, nor come back. You can live the rest of your days here. However, if you do decide to join, then I will offer anything you desire. Money, dust, a new life… anything."

"Awful generous of you."

"I have always held the philosophy that people prefer to receive pleasure than avoid pain. Therefore, I want to make my offer the most attractive decision."

"Alright, so what's the plan, then?"

"Due to our mole's investigation, we know the bases of operation for several of the Twelve. While some move from location to location, many stay around a single area. With permission of the military, I plan to form a small force of the elite. As I said, our mission is less to kill than it is to misdirect. Therefore, we will have those skilled in subterfuge and espionage. We currently have three targets: The Serpent, The Rat, and The Boar. Once they have been dealt with, we will continue if necessary, retreat if not. Any questions?"

"How big is the team?"

"No more than a maximum of ten people."

"When do you need an answer?"

"Now would be preferable, but we do not head out until tomorrow."

James nodded his head and closed his eyes. He then turned to Rudie, "What do you think?"

She stepped next to him and began to whisper into his ear. Thomas was not privy to the conversation, but kept his distance. He didn't want to spoil his chance by appearing dishonest, after all.

"Ok," James continued, "We'll think about it, and either show up tomorrow or not."

"We?"

"Did you not hear me? She's my second-in-command. If she doesn't go, I don't."

"Very well. The more the merrier. Glad to have you aboard, Rudie." He nodded his head in respect, which Rudie returned with her own.

"Anyway, where would we meet you?"

"We plan to depart from the Crawford Pier near 0600 hours. We can extend it to eight, but you've always struck me as a light enough sleeper."

"Got it. Expect us, but don't be too disappointed if we think it's not worth the trouble."

"Wonderful. Then I hope to see you tomorrow." Thomas gathered the remaining folders, returning them to their briefcase. He offered James a final handshake, which he took, and then departed from the door.

After a couple seconds, James let out a sigh. "Couldn't just leave me alone, could he?" He turned to Rudie, "Can you check to make sure if he left a little something? About yea big," He placed his two fingers together, "but obviously metal."

Rudie nodded her head, and closed her eyes. She stayed silent, almost as if she were somehow listening, despite the sounds of the revelry outside the office. She then opened her eyes, and with a shake of her head, James continued.

"Good. Don't want to have to deal with his damn spiders. So, old friend comes in after five-ish years, says 'Hey, want your help, but no worry don't need it.' And leaves. Do you buy it?"

Rudie shook her head again.

"Yeah, neither do I. It's why I'm damn surprised he didn't leave one of his spiders around. Ah well, guess there's no choice. Guy's a pretty spoiled brat. He'll find some way to get what he wants. You up for it?"

Rudie tilted her head, in a silent question.

"Nah, I wouldn't be worried. He's conniving, but that also means he's smart. Probably already has some kind of plan on all of them. Just think of it as a job, probably won't be out for longer than a couple months."

Rudie turned her head to the other side.

"Nah, he's not the kinda guy to double cross. He's one of those, 'I never waste my assets' kind of guys. Means he'll probably come calling again after we're done, but what the hell."

Rudie returned her head to its normal position.

"Good to hear. You might as well get some shut-eye. We've gotta pack in the morning."

* * *

It was about time to change location.

It was obvious to Vernal. Sitting atop a watchtower, she could see nothing moving. They had barely had any decent hauls over the past few weeks, and that was soon followed by unwanted attention. Bounty Hunters, law enforcement, there had even been one occasion where the military themselves had come after attacking a dust convoy.

That was fine. She had grown up on the move, never staying in a single place. Location wasn't important: Family was. Raven had led the tribe with that philosophy at the forefront. As long as they stuck together, their combined strength could help overcome any challenge.

So, it would only be a matter of time. They would have to probably move to another area entirely, probably eastward, if she was the betting type. Plenty of woods to get lost in, and with it, several places to hide.

She gave a long sigh. Just when she had gotten used to these woods, too.

Her musings were interrupted, however, by the disruption of birds across the treeline. That usually meant something was approaching, whether Grimm or people. Setting down onto one knee, she grabbed a nearby telescope to get a good look. After a few seconds, the disruption moved out of the woods into her line of sight.

The one at the front was vaguely familiar, and was obviously a tribe member based on his clothing. He seemed to be leading the other two towards the tribe, but judging by the way he was nervously shifting his gaze, he was obviously hoping for a rescue.

It gave her a sense of disappointment when she got a better look at his 'captors'. Some girl wearing a purple robe, with her arms crossed over her chest and attention on her counterpart. What seemed to be a little kid was talking to her, his arms swinging at his side as he seemed to skip behind the man. Neither of them were paying attention to their 'captive', and there were no weapons of any kind. Vernal gave a small growl of dissatisfaction. She would've taken any route to escape and misdirect, not take them straight to camp.

Either way, she needed to alert the camp. Signaling down to the guards, she closed her palm twice. Two bogeys approaching. The guards nodded and braced their weapons, ready to ambush at the first sign of trouble. With preparations complete, she waited until the three approached the entrance. Always had to make an impact, after all.

It wasn't long before they approached the gate. Now or never. With barely a running start, Vernal jumped off the watchtower, landing right in front of the entrance as the three stopped.

When she turned to look at the trio, only the tribesman seemed shocked by her appearance. The other two remained calm, and the brat was even smiling.

*CLAP*CLAP*CLAP*CLAP*

… And then they started applauding.

"That was cool!" The boy said, "Do it again!"

"Good distance." The girl held her hand over her eyes to block the sun. "What was that, like 30 feet?"

"I hope you know where you are." Vernal replied, "And who you've brought with you."

"Yeah, about that. We're looking for Raven Branwen." The girl answered, scratching the back of her head. "That wouldn't be you, would it?"

"'Fraid not. She isn't expecting anyone." Reaching to her side, she withdrew her disk.

"Listen, we aren't looking for a fight. We just want some information. Your proud trooper over here said she was the main leader around here, and we aren't really sure where here is. So please, just let us talk."

Vernal stayed silent for a second, before clipping her disk back to her side. "So, tell me then, who are you?"

The girl, for her part, remained silent. For a couple seconds, there was barely anything between them but the sound of the rustling wind.

"Well, Gruntson?" She asked, turning to the Tribesman. "Are you going to introduce us?" At being called out on the spot, the man's eyes widened, and he turned pleadingly to Vernal. She soon regained her disappointed frown.

"That's right, Gruntson. Don't keep me in suspense." It earned a laugh from both kids and a panicked gasp from the man. Seeing no other options, he began to speak.

"Uh, th-this here's Mrs. Morgan." He pointed to the girl, "And Mr. Kana." He pointed to the kid.

"Grr…"

"I-I mean this is Sir Kana of… uh, Somewhere, Super-Esquire!"

"…You were this close, Gruntson." The girl held her fingers close together.

"Well, pleasure to meet you." Vernal said, sarcasm dripping from the words. "Thanks for giving Gruntson here, back. We'll thank you by allowing you to leave in two pieces. Now if you would kindly turn right back the way you came-"

"Ok, tried to be nice." Morgan took a slow breath, gazing carefully at Vernal. Then she whistled. "You're obviously a cut above the rest, aren't you, Vernal?"

"I'm sorry, did I introduce myself?"

"You didn't need to. Anyway, you've got strength, you've got speed, you've even got decent skill. Your defense, however…" She clicked her tongue, tilting her head to the right. "You strike me as a right-hand-woman. Am I close?"

Vernal remained silent. Carefully eyeing the two youths, she reached towards her disk again. "Actually, I changed my mind. I'll go ask Raven if she's willing to see you. Wait here. Gruntson," She pointed to the man, "you come with me." She thumbed back to the camp, and he hurriedly rushed inside the gates. Keeping her eyes on the two, she began to back up. It seemed unnecessary, however, as the girl simply closed her eyes as if in meditation, while the boy seemed to be distracted by a bird. Soon she was within the borders, as the guards closed the gates behind her.

"Vernal!" The man said, "You've gotta get the boss! Those two, they're Hunters."

"Tell me something I don't know." She replied, before grabbing him by the collar, "For instance, WHAT YOU TOLD THEM!"

"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!" He cried, "I WAS JUST ON A SCOUTING RUN WHEN THEY CAME OUT OF THE WOODS, KILLED THE REST OF THE CREW, AND FORCED ME TO BRING 'EM HERE!"

"I HEARD THAT, GRUNTSON!" Morgan's voice carried over the wall. "YOUR FRIENDS AREN'T DEAD! YOU JUST DIDN'T HEAR THEM BREATHING WHILE YOU WERE BEGGING FOR YOUR LIFE!"

Vernal felt a headache coming on as she dragged him closer to the center of camp. Whoever these two were, they certainly were intent to cause trouble…

* * *

Kana would admit he was never the smartest soldier in any army. It came with being perhaps the youngest member at any given point, but he knew he would never be on the level of, say, his Uncle Leo. He was okay with it, though. He joined the original Hoshidan Army to help his Mama, and she had always told him he was strong in ways others weren't.

When she told him that, he had always assumed she meant his ability to turn into a Dragon at any given moment, but ever since he and Morgan started these journeys, he understood more and more what she meant.

"They seem pretty nice, don't they?"

"They're smart, not nice." Morgan replied, idly thumbing through her tome from a seated position. "They don't want to attack something they don't understand."

"Well, at least they know when to give up…"

"Hmm, true, I guess." She closed the book, tucking it back into her cloak. "Though, I'm betting on a… say 78% chance we end up setting something on fire on the way out."

"Morgan…" Kana held his arms at his sides as if he was scolding a child. Too bad Morgan was his senior by about half a decade and was only shorter than him sitting down. "These are the first people we've come across here. We don't need to fight them, just talk."

"Oh, Kana. You have to keep in mind we're skipping a few steps here." Placing her hands on the back of her head, she began to lay down on her back. "We usually don't go straight to the boss. Odds are she's pretty strong, and will either try to kill us or enlist us. Either way, we need an escape plan. Walking headlong into an armed bandit camp without one is just asking for trouble."

"I still think we can talk it out…"

"And that's what I love about you, kid. But just keep in mind, these guys aren't living in monster infested woods for the exercise." Kana seemed to agree, but still wore a sad frown. Before he could object further, the gate opened again. The same woman from before, Vernal if Morgan was right (which she would be quick to say was always).

"Ok, she says she's willing to talk to you. Follow me." Morgan got up from the ground, walking towards the woman with barely a flinch of hesitation. Kana soon followed after. Out of the two of them, Morgan was always the leader, due to her head. After all, that wasn't where Kana's strength lied…

"You sure you don't want to check us for weapons?" Morgan asked, stopping in front of Vernal.

"No need." She replied, "You'll find getting on Raven's bad side is a terrible idea." She turned towards the camp, leading the two further inside. As they entered, Kana noticed that the gates closed behind them, and several other bandits began to follow them. Kana simply smiled, not intimidated at all. It was like his Mama always said: He should always smile, it was when he looked best.

Soon, they had approached what appeared to be the center of the camp, and Kana felt an all-too-familiar feeling.

"Morgan." He whispered, although he was probably still audible to Vernal. "I feel a Vein."

"Really?" She asked, loud enough that Vernal would definitely be able to hear her. "That's a surprise, how long has it been since the last one?" Kana honestly couldn't answer himself, but soon found he didn't need to. Vernal left without a word, and they were suddenly left in front of a large tent. Within a few seconds, a figure emerged.

Clad in a red outfit with black highlights, Kana could say (from his limited experience, of course) that she took the look of the Grimm to heart. That was only compounded further with her mask, a twisted visage of the monsters that left no trace of visible skin from her face.

"You must be Raven Branwen." Morgan said, from his side. She then addressed him directly. "Looks like she's got a thing for katanas too. Maybe you can trade tips." Kana looked at her again, noticing the weapon at her side. It looked like a box to him, but the handle jutting out from the front indicated Morgan may have been on to something.

"So, you two are the ones who attacked my scouts and invaded my camp."

"In our defense, they started it."

"Would you care to introduce yourselves?"

"Oh, come on! Did Gruntson mess up again? It's two names!"

"Alright, so I know who you are. That doesn't answer what you are. Which Kingdom are you from? Atlas, Vale?"

"Kingdoms? Well, I'm Ylissean, with some Plegia and an itty-bit of Valm in there somewhere. Kana on the other hand-holy crap try to diagram this: His mother was raised Nohrian and is Hoshidan by birthright, but she's also Vallite, believe it or not. His grandpa's a _real_ piece of work, he's-"

*BANG*

"Are you done cracking jokes?" While Kana didn't get the best look, it seemed as if she launched her sword from the sheathe at an incredible speed, heralded by the loud sound. An application of Iaijutsu, huh? Interesting.

"Are you done beating around the bush? You know who we are, you know what we want, and you seem smart enough to understand that the only way to get answers is to give answers. So, can we come in to the nice looking tent?"

Raven remained silent for a few seconds, for what Kana assumed was a debate to listen or attack. Then, she sheathed her sword, before turning back into the tent.

"Follow me."

Morgan, again, went first, while Kana followed behind. When they entered, they found a candlelit room with a small table held at the center. Raven was already sitting, and Morgan soon did as well. Kana noticed that, compared to Morgan's casual criss-cross, the woman was kneeling in a Hoshidan-like position. Kana did as well, before Raven continued her questions.

"So, will you answer my questions now?"

"Sure. I was being honest, though. I'm Ylissean, and Kana here is Hoshidan. Never been to this 'Vale' or 'Atlas'."

"I… see. Then, to continue, what brings you here?"

"Well, I'll answer that question with another question: Have you seen a dragon around?"

To Raven's credit, she didn't laugh or act flabbergasted. She kept her gaze focused, and answered succinctly.

"No."

"Damn, 0-for-2." Morgan rolled her eyes and leaned forward onto the table. "We're looking for a dragon to kill. Don't know anything about it, even if it's an actual lizard or not, just know that it's incredibly powerful, and may have once been worshipped as a god. Ring any bells?"

"No."

"Dang, any trusted king or political figure seem to have gone crazy and power-hungry for no particular reason lately?"

"No."

"Are you planning on answering all my questions with no?"

"This is asinine. I thought I told you to stop with the jokes."

"You did, and I am. You're just ignoring the truth."

Raven gave a sigh, and then turned to Kana.

"You, kid. Care to answer honestly?"

"Well," Kana returned, pushing two fingers together, "as reward for both our parents killing the dark dragon Velezark, we were tasked by the Father of All Dragons to hunt down all the dragons that go insane. To do _that_ , we travel from world to world, finding a Hero to kill it, an Oracle to guide them, and otherwise help them in any way we can."

After finishing, all three remained silent for a few precious seconds.

"See, Kana, starting with that makes us sound crazy." Morgan said. "Gotta ease 'em into it."

"I'm growing very tired of your jokes. Either stop with your ramblings or this talk is over."

"Aright, alright, calm down lady. You obviously need some proof." She took a slow breath and continued. "You're the first person in this merry little band that has some decent magic ability. That either means you don't need a mage, which is just foolish, or magic talent is rare here. Probably explains why you're the boss. Tell me, am I off target?"

"Now you're speaking nonsense, magic isn't real." Kana didn't miss how her hands seemed to return to her sheathe. Perhaps it was a sore subject.

"Maybe not here, but where we come from, magic is pretty commonplace. Want proof?" She placed two fingers close, and then snapped them together. As her palm opened, a small fire formed in the center. It was contained, never seeming to fizzle out, or consume anything to stay formed. "This is a simple enough spell; most elementary mages can learn it. Don't need a conduit or catalyst."

"I see. Clearly you seem well versed in magic, aren't you?" Kana wasn't wrong, definitely a sore subject. That was probably the only way to explain the next few seconds.

Without another word of warning, she launched a slice at Morgan. While Kana knew Morgan was stronger than she looked, he also knew her strengths were not in her body. Bringing the back of her hand up, she blocked the decapitating strike aimed at her head, but cried out in pain as the blade dug into her flesh. Kana acted quickly, wrapping a hand around his friend and jumping to the left, bringing her out of the blade's path before it could finish.

Never taking his eyes off the woman, he entered a crouched stance with one hand on the ground. Raven returned the sword to her sheathe, but treated him no different.

"DAMN IT, LADY!" Morgan called out, "NOW YOU'VE DONE IT!" Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Kana, I don't care what it does. Get. That. Vein."

He gave a quick grunt of agreement and growled at the woman. No one hurt his friends and got away with it.

"I see Salem has already found us." Raven continued, "I assume you two were the ones who attacked the Fall Maiden?"

"Now who sounds crazy?"

"No more lies."

"I guess the talks are over, then?"

"I'm afraid I can't let you two leave here alive."

"That's unfortunate… for you."

Before Raven could utter anything else in response, Kana was already upon her. With a single motion, he launched a fist right to the side of her mask. It may have been too fast for her to respond, as she made a vain attempt to dodge, but could not manage to escape. The punch sent her sprawling outside, a result of Kana using his full strength. Given that the blow was to the head, it would leave her disoriented for a second, but Kana had the sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be for much longer.

Kana turned back to Morgan, who had already gotten back on her feet. Her right arm was bleeding heavily, but he had seen her go through much worse with a smile. She also seemed to have a cut forming on her cheek, but that was easily fixable as well. He reached into his armor, hoping to grab the right staff.

"Don't worry about it right now!" Morgan said, "She's obviously going to bring the whole gang! Trigger that vein as fast as you can!" Kana wanted to protest, but knew better than to question Morgan. Not after all they'd been through. Nodding, he turned towards where he had sent Raven, running out the curtain to meet his opponents.

He was slightly disappointed to see he was right: Raven was already back on her feet, surrounded by many of her bandits and Vernal, from earlier. Each of them was brandishing a weapon of some kind, all aimed towards him. He gave another growl, crouching down onto all fours.

"The Faunus brat is incredibly fast and strong, don't take your eyes off him for a moment!" Kana may have asked what she was talking about if he wasn't overtaken by his instincts. It was too late for her anyway, with his hand to the ground, he had already called for it. Feeling the power flow from the ground, Kana gave a roar.

While it sounded impressive to him, clearly it didn't intimidate them. A few of them exchanged glances with each other, wondering what he was trying to do. Within moments, however, that question was answered.

It began with a small gust, a cool wind that wasn't there a couple seconds ago. Only, this gust didn't stop, it only increased. Faster and faster, until they couldn't dismiss it as a simple gale. As the wind increased, an eerily howl-like sound began to ring out.

The bandits began to gaze at each other, nervously wondering where it came from. Only Raven and Vernal seemed calm, both still trained on him with their weapons. It didn't matter, it was already over.

Just like that, the gust that had come, had gone, within only a couple seconds. The bandits were still confused, but wouldn't be for much longer…

A loud creak rang out, signifying the effects of the vein. This time, even Vernal took her eyes off him, only to have them widen as she looked at the gates of her camp. The once-great wood pillars looked sturdy enough to take ballista fire without flinching. Now, however, one was falling down. Then another, and another, like a twisted set of dominoes, until none remained standing. The camp was no longer closed, now left bare for all the wild to see.

"How'd he do that?"

"What the Hell is happening?"

"Oh shit. Oh shit, Oh shit, Oh shit-"

"CONTROL YOURSELVES!" Raven called out, snapping them to attention. "WE DON'T NEED A GRIMM SURGE TO OCCUR! STEEL YOURSELVES, AND ATTACK HIM AT ONCE!" Grimm surge? Kana didn't understand what that meant. Fortunately for him, he also didn't need to.

"BOLGANONE!" He heard his partner behind him, tome in her undamaged hand. Immediately, cracks started to form in the ground between him and the bandits. Raven seemed to sense something was up, as she began to run towards them, only to be interrupted by an explosion.

The eruption of Bolganone, one of the most powerful flame spells of any mage. Morgan was obviously _peeved_.

A spout of red flame forced Raven to retreat back, further sending her tribe into a panic. Screams of fear and disbelief rang out, and the once confident tribe began backing away in terror. Unfortunately, they would not find reprieve on the other side…

"RAAARGH!" Although he could not see it, he clearly heard the roar of the predators he had faced earlier that morning. It seems the Grimm may have been attracted by the winds, and were happy to find this camp full of prey suddenly undefended. They began to rush in, causing more screams of panic and weaponry to fire. Throughout all of it, Raven didn't take her eyes off Kana, even as Morgan approached him from behind.

"SEE, NOW DON'T YOU FEEL BAD THE TALK IS OVER?" Morgan yelled, "IF YOU SURVIVE, MAYBE I'LL ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY!"

Raven didn't answer, and instead turned an about face to help her tribe in defense. Morgan closed her tome, returning it into her cloak. "Alright, Kana, let's go. We gotta get out of here before they get this under control." He nodded in response, and they dashed though the tent, out the now broken gates with barely a look back. Within a few minutes, the sound of fighting grew faint enough that they had probably gotten far enough away.

"Ok, so maybe you were right about the fire…" Kana said, stopping just behind Morgan.

"Always need a plan."

"I don't think launching one spell is a good plan."

"It is when you have to improvise." Now that she had stopped, Kana got a good look at her hand, still bleeding from the wound. Noticing his stare, she shook her head, "Come on, now you're crying about this more than I am."

"Just let me see." Pulling out a staff from his armor, Kana grasped hold of her arm. He held the staff tip above it, letting the healing magic flow into the wound. Within seconds, the wound had closed, leaving only the blood and a faint scar.

"Ok, let's head back to the Deeprealm before we meet anyone else. Sound good?"

Kana nodded, and the two set out to search for a body of water.

* * *

"…Due to the Breach of Vale this past week, the Vytal Festival has been postponed until further notice. When questioned for comment, General James Ironwood-"

*CLICK*

"…In other news, the recent arrest and detainment of notorious thief Roman Torchwick-"

*CLICK*

"…And so I said, 'Tell me about it, I had to put down three Ursai, one King Taijitu, and an entire pack of Beowolves.' And he told me, 'Dude, I was off yesterday. I'm talking about my wife.'"

"Hehehehe…" A mischievous voice replied, laughing along with the canned laughter from the screen. It was a dimly lit room, with only a TV and lamp providing light. Seated in a recliner was a young-looking boy, smiling wide at the screen despite being done laughing.

He was wearing loose pajamas and seemed to be simply relaxing. He had white hair and piercing amber eyes. What grabbed attention, however, were the small tufts extending from his top. Cat ears, triangular in shape and matching his hair in color. Currently, he was sitting still on the recliner, as if waiting for something.

"BREAKING NEWS!" The TV screeched, replacing the sitcom with a card displaying that very phrase. After a second, the screen switched to a random newscaster, smiling proudly at the camera.

"Hello, audience. There's been exciting news recently. It seems Remnant has some new visitors today. Two young princelings, hailing from the nations of Ylisse and Hoshido, have recently arrived and have begun their quest!"

"Oh, boy!" The boy said, "I hope they're nice!"

"I do, too." The newscaster continued, but his smiling face soon bore a heavy frown. "Unfortunately, it seems their first interaction with our lovely dimension was rather hostile. They met with Raven Branwen and her clan of bandits, and ended up fighting them. It seems one of the kids, poor Morgan, was wounded by the clanswoman, before they ended up escaping!"

"Oh, no!" The boy cried, hands grasping at his cheeks. "Say it isn't so!"

"I'm afraid so you handsome devil, you!" Clearing his throat, the newscaster continued. "It seems they are currently lost and without guidance, wandering the woods of Mistral. If only, IF ONLY, there was some brave, incredibly sexy warrior -with a cute butt- that could help get them on track!"

"Wait a minute!" The boy said, springing to his feet. "I know just the guy! Aaaaaace~" He was not kept waiting long, as a nearby door opened, bringing with it the head of the apartment's other occupant.

"You called?" The voice definitely belonged to someone older, but not by much. His head of blonde hair was held in a small ponytail, and two fox ears poked out from the top, just like the boy's. His teal eyes were filled with confusion.

"It's Morgan and Kana!" The boy said, holding his hands to the sides of his head, "They're lost!"

"Who?" Ace asked, tilting his head. He then turned to look at the TV, seemingly displaying some sitcom. At least, judging by the fact the man was staying silent while canned laughter was continuing.

"There's no time!" The cat continued, hurrying to the fridge. Opening it quickly, he pulled out a small letter, marked with the words, 'To: Mor-Mor and Kana-Nanana.' "I need you to take this to them! Right now, they're in Mistral, and are about to come face to face with Clune!"

"The Rat?" Ace replied, taking the letter without complaint before lazily reading the scribbles. "I forget, where was he again?"

"30.27 degrees North, 97.74 degrees West!" His arms were flapping erratically in the air, now.

"Got it. Be back in a bit." He turned around, beginning to head for the door.

"Wait!" Ace turned back, where the boy had his hands held behind his back. "I'll miss you, y'know…"

"Aw, I'll miss you too, Chesh." Quickly stepping over, Ace kissed him on the head, which elicited a small giggle from the boy. Without another word, he stepped out the door, locking it behind him.

All the while, the cat boy stood, smiling that ever present smile.

 **Chapter 1 – End:**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Hello, again, good denizens of the net. Glad to get the first 'official' chapter out. As I said with the prologue, I encourage all pedantic comments you can. How was the comedy? How were the characters? Anything objectionable, as of now?**

 **So, I feel like I should give some more little things to chew on. So, Jimmy, Rudie, Thomas, Ace, and Chesh. Obviously, introducing my OC's** _ **DO NOT STEAL**_ **a little early, but I want to set up some things.**

 **So, RWBY seems to have this rule that all the characters are based on… something. Like, Team RWBY are all folklore/fairy tale characters, JNPR is mythological/historical characters who have crossdressed, the headmasters are (presumably, we're missing one) Dorothy/her companions/the Wizard, and Neo's… ice cream? Well, clearly there are no 'rules' for naming, so I made some up.**

 **So, give me your best guess on to who/what my characters are referencing.**

 **But seriously, though, they took my main man Jircny and turned him into just another dude in the setting. Unforgivable.**


	3. Chapter 2: Starting a Team(s)

**EDIT: Yikes. Took a look at my story, and noticed that I forgot does not keep the divides from Word. Whoops. Hope that didn't mess up anyone...**

 **Disclaimer: You know, for some reason, I just hate the idea of metanarrative in gaming, and I honestly can't say why. And the thing is, it's only when** _ **playing**_ **games that it bothers me. Games like "Undertale" and "Doki Doki Literature Club," for whatever reason, just give me that feeling. The thing is, though, I like the games, I just hate playing them. I like looking online at all the easter eggs and story/symbolism, but I just hate playing them for a reason I can't define.**

 **Like, do I just have some kind of phobia related to Cartesian Doubt? Hell if I know. And I don't hate it when a character breaks the fourth wall for a joke or a scare. Like, I was playing Okami recently, off the Switch, and I was at the Ninetails fight (Spoilers, btw – Rao's been dead for a while, it's actually Ninetails in disguise), and when he starts using Celestial Brush techniques, like, that got me. I forgot he did that, even, and it's great at pulling the rug out from under you. Oh, thought you were invincible when you stopped time, well guess what, you literal bitch? There's a couple other moments in the game just like that, like those ghosts on the ship. That's how I like it.**

 **But when, say, Monika or Flowey are like talking about you – yes, you, not the avatar – I just get that feeling. That feeling of "Stop this, you aren't real. Stop trying." Like, the Uncanny Valley effect. Congrats, you're getting closer and closer to acting like a human, but that only makes the tiny differences stand out more. Or something like that.**

 **I don't know. Anyone else get those feelings? Please?**

 **Chapter 2: Starting a Team(s).**

Morgan was not happy.

It had been a long day. The sun was currently setting, and she had just escaped from a bandit camp full of people who now probably wanted her dead. And to top it all off, they had to return to the Deeprealms. While being chronologically detached from whatever world they were in - giving them plenty of time to rest and recover - was a plus, there was always a negative. That negative, to her, was one of the two people they had to share it with.

"So, just to get our story straight, it was about 100 guys, all armed with katanas. You bravely fought them off with your bare fists, before I got 'em all with a Bolganone. Bandit leader's like, 'Curse you!' and we run into the sunset."

"Can it be 100 guys with naginatas?"

"No, I think that's pushing it a bit."

"'Kay. 100 guys with katanas…"

"…I'll give you 90 with 10 naginata wielders."

"Yay!"

Before they could continue, they came across a small lake. Without breaking their stride, they began to walk into it, slowly submerging themselves deeper and deeper until the water covered them completely. They did not seem to be deprived of air, however, as a bright glow surrounded the two of them.

When the glow ceased, they were back on dry land, a grassy plain that couldn't possibly exist at the bottom of a lake. Tall castle walls surrounded the area, and several buildings were strewn about. However, what she was hoping least to see, what had been waiting for them, was the small squirrel/fish/dragon with the maid cap.

"I see you're both back." Lilith said, crossing her arms over her orb. "I trust Morgan wasn't any trouble for you, Kana?"

"Nope, all good!" Kana answered back, "Just fought some bandits."

"A lot of bandits." Morgan interjected.

"Yeah, lots!"

"I see…" Lilith continued, floating closer to Morgan. "Care to tell me in detail?"

Morgan sometimes hated the damn squirrel/fish/dragon.

* * *

The sun was still hiding, the night illuminated only by the lamps along the streets.

Jimmy loved the night.

Not only was it when most of his missions took place back in the military, but there was always something so calm about it. People and cars who usually lined the streets were all gone, leaving it in a tranquil quiet. You could do whatever you wanted, and no one was there to judge you, to stop you, or fight you.

Then again, there was always the dangers of the night. Those who prey on others when the police are less active. You might never know when a simple turn down an alley would lead to an ambush…

Unfortunately, Jimmy knew exactly what ambush he was wandering into. He gave a slow sigh.

He didn't have much, only his weapons and a change of clothes, really. Alcohol never worked on him anyway, so everything he could honestly call his own was in a backpack. One-strapped, obviously.

Beside him walked Rudie, carrying much the same. Only, she was two-strapping, the amateur. Still had a lot to learn…

Crawford Pier wasn't too far away, but he was in no hurry. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until they were at the entrance. Hopping over the fence, they continued deeper into the complex, only to find it mostly empty.

"Glad to see you've chosen to come." The crisp voice of Tommy rang out. Appearing from behind them, he still appeared as immaculate as he did yesterday. Still had the damn briefcase, too.

"Well, didn't have anythin' going on for the next week, thought it would be a nice way to kill some time."

"Wonderful. Our transport is inside the warehouse over there, E-13." Pointing towards the direction of the warehouse in question, he began to walk towards it, soon followed by both of them.

Inside, a decently-sized airship was parked, obviously the transport he was referring to. However, instead of walking towards it, he indicated towards a door to the right, which seemed to lead into a conference room of some sort.

Inside was a face Jimmy hoped he would never have to see again.

"Shit, you had to invite Kilroy?!"

"Glad to see you as well, Poe." The man sat in a chair across the table, his fingers intertwined in front of his face. His short black hair was combed to near perfection, with only a small fringe out of order. His cold blue eyes scanned between Jimmy and Rudie, while his body barely moved an inch. His uniform shared a design with Tommy's, but was colored grey as opposed to his white.

"Now, now, you two." Tommy stepped between them, "We are going to be working together for the near future. Let us begin by introducing the new faces to each other. James, you and Charles have obviously met, but I would like you to meet Jojo Martin."

"….Jojo?" The kid was obviously pretty young, probably younger than Rudie if he were the betting type. His uniform was loosely worn, with both sleeves removed. Despite that, he was pretty scrawny, with a lack of any muscle and shaggy green hair. His eyes were hard to see, covered by the hair, but his attention was obviously on Jimmy. "How'd you get him to call you that?"

"It's my name." He answered, shrugging his shoulders, "Just don't wear it out."

"He was a student at Atlas, one I had my eye on for a while. After speaking with the headmaster, he was allowed to join this unit." Tommy seemed to smile as he said this.

"Little young, kid. Think you're ready for the big leagues?"

"Trust me, you've got nothin' but the best." He seemed done, but decided to punctuate his statement with some flair. In the blink of an eye, he was perched on the table, inches away from Jimmy's face. It would have been impressive…

*WHAP*

If Jimmy hadn't sent a fist straight into his face out of reflex.

"OW! ASSHOLE!" Jojo cried out, grasping his face as he rolled on the table in pain.

Jimmy felt bad, honestly, and not just because he decked a little kid who was way out of his league in the face out of reflex. His knees were slightly bent, and his back was arched backwards, his old instincts kicking in. Damn, he had hoped he had been rusty, maybe been of no use to Tommy. Ah well, probably should apologize…

"Hell, kid. Give me some warning next time." He heard Rudie give a small chuckle behind him.

"Please refrain from doing that again." Tommy said from next to him, offering a hand to the prostrate Jojo. "And you, Jojo, be careful when using your Semblance. Always keep your Aura active, even when there appears to be no foes currently. If James was armed, you would most assuredly be dead."

"Got it, sir." Jojo said, standing at attention.

"Yikes, you sure 'bout this kid? He won't last long if he needs to be _told_ to use his bullet shield."

"It is why he is still in training."

"Oh, you can't be serious."

"A part of the agreement between General Ironwood and I. Practical combat experience is what a student of Jojo's caliber needs.

"That's fucked up, Tommy."

"Your consternation aside…" Kilroy rung in, "We have one more member present."

"Uh… Hello." The final timid voice came from a woman seated beside Kilroy. Her uniform was finely pressed as well, accentuated by a small cap adorning her brown hair. She wore a pair of glasses around her green eyes, and her hands were calmly folded on the table. What caught Jimmy's attention, however, was the rosary she wore on her neck. "My name is Virginia Leone. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Poe."

"Just Jimmy is fine." Jimmy replied. He then turned towards Thomas, "Anywhere you grabbed her from? There an orphanage that just happened to burn down she used to live at?"

"She is an Atlas alumni, one of the best of her graduating class." Even Tommy had to understand how much of a canned answer that was. "Her analytic and prediction skills will be an asset to the squad, and she agreed to join. Any other questions?"

"No. This it?"

"Not entirely. Discounting our mole, we also have another who is currently working on the ship. I'm sure you remember my personal pilot, Mr. Sky?"

"Ah, Blue's still around, huh. Guess most of the gang's here 'cept old Pepper himself. Surprised how much quieter it is." He then shifted his weight, shrugging his shoulders ever so slightly. "Guess you all know who I am, Tommy probably briefed you all before I got here. Name's Jimmy Poe, former assassin. I'm here for when things go south, and Tommy decides the only solution is more bodies. Behind me is Rudie. Consider getting on _her_ bad side scarier than anything you can get from me. Sound good?"

"As surprisingly eloquent as ever, James." Tommy said, before strolling to the other side of the table. He reached upwards, and seemed to pull down a projection screen. Getting the message, Jimmy sat down with Rudie, but had to be sure his feet were on the table. "So, now that everyone is here, we should begin planning our first operation." He placed his briefcase on the table, which then began to open a small compartment, from which the projectors light came forth. "Ms. Leone?"

"Of course, sir." Virginia stood up, walking to the side of the screen. "Our first operation will be the sabotage of a weapons production facility directly under Clune Muride." The screen shifted to a picture of who Jimmy assumed she was talking about, at least judging by the rat ears.

"Unless otherwise designated, his codename is, 'The Rat'."

The screen shifted again to a picture of some gun, as well as surrounding schematics. "As we all know, specially trained White Fang Agents have their own personalized weapons. Not only does this include the Twelve, but several other prominent figures. However, for those of the rank-and-file, they are usually equipped only with a standard bladed pistol. Given sufficient training, numbers can overcome any issues with versatility. Therefore, a steady supply of these weapons is necessary. Enter, the Rat."

The screen changed again to the guy, only as part of some class, judging by the number of students.

"A graduate of Vulkan Academy, his talent at weaponsmithing would have been a boon to any weapons company he joined. However, because of his status as a Faunus and several suspicious projects he had created, he was unfortunately passed over for his fellow classmates. The only work he could find was pure contract and commission, creating weapons for personal customers. This got him into trouble with the law, when some of his contracts then used his weapons for… less-than-savory activities. Dust robberies, military thefts, and even two recorded assassinations were only possible due to the weapons he designed."

The screen changed again to a newspaper clipping announcing his arrest, and a snippet of film with him being escorted to a courthouse.

"While he was arrested, there was much debate on his accountability. Should he limit his ability to sell weapons because they may be used for criminal acts? Should all of his sales be regulated by a power that will not offer him rewards for his work? Was he being unfairly treated by the legal system due to his status as a Faunus? These questions and several others prompted the old White Fang to formally protest his trial, and represent him in court. After his not-guilty verdict was announced, he was officially inducted into the White Fang as a member. While under the old leadership, such as the Phoenix and the Cat, he would have been one of many others, the new leaders have sought to reapply his talent."

The screen shifted yet again to some kind of facility.

"This is his main base of operations, known as the Hephaestus Facility. Equipped with some of the most advanced machinery that can be found, it is his own personal fortress for the creation, testing, and distribution of his weapons. Many of these weapons have been given as a form of ranking within the White Fang, as a weapon designed by him is considered a valuable reward for service."

"The Hephaestus Facility is located deep within Grimm territory in western Mistral, and is patrolled by a rotating contingent of guards. Therefore, a full-frontal attack is not only ill-advised, I would dare say it would be impossible to pull off unless you had the entire might of the military behind you. Therefore, to discredit the Rat, we will need to employ a stealthier method."

The screen changed again to another blueprint, but there were no clear pictures so Jimmy didn't feel the need to look carefully.

"Due to our Mole, we know that the Rat is working on a Magnum Opus of his weaponry, a weapon to dwarf all others. Since any weapon can only be shown off by being fired, we need to ensure he will not do so."

"The Rat is a paranoiac, and may suffer from some sort of narcissistic complex. He is convinced he is an utter genius when it comes to design, and he takes steps not to update his superiors on his advancements in fear of being stolen from. Therefore, there is but one way to stop the completion of his new weapon: We simply reveal the plans of the weapon ourselves."

The screen changed to someone else, some kind of horned Faunus.

"This is his counterpart general under Asmord Deus. Johann Caprine, codenamed, 'The Ram'. Relations between the two are distrustful at best, outright hostile at worst. If the Rat were to find out that the Ram was in possession of his newest designs, it would not only lead to him destroying the plans, but will create an irreparable fissure between them. Even if the Ram were to come forward with the plans, claiming innocence, the distrust between them will make it impossible for the Rat to believe. That is our desired result."

The screen shifted to some kind of floor plan.

"This mission will strictly require stealth. Therefore, not all of us will be taking part. As strict combatants, Mr. Kilroy and Mr. Poe will both only interfere if we are compromised and attacked. Otherwise, this mission can be performed by Mr. Martin with supervision under Mr. Stardust's drones. His mission will be to infiltrate the facility, access the mainframe, and download all data pertaining to the Magnum Opus."

The screen began highlighting certain points, as Virginia continued.

"Mr. Martin, you will begin by meeting with our mole near the south entrance. When he gives you the clear, you will enter the building through the upper ventilation, then follow it to the ground floor. Once there, Mr. Stardust will instruct you on the best path to take, whether high or low, to find the main control room. Remember, stealth is key, and while one or two guards may lie about being indisposed, it will be suspicious if too many agree. Therefore, if the danger becomes too eminent, a tactical retreat will be ordered. In that case, we will meet back at the transport, and plan from there."

With another switch, the screen turned blank.

"Any questions?" She scanned the room, taking note of the calm (and in Tommy's case, oddly pleased) faces staring at her. It was then that Rudie raised her hand. "Um… yes, Mrs… er…"

"Just call her Rudie." Jimmy answered. "What's up?" As she had the night before, she began to whisper quietly into his ear, too low for anyone else to hear. Jimmy turned towards Virginia. "Oh, don't worry, I got this one."

He then turned back towards Rudie.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a different briefcase each time, they just all _look_ the same."

"I believe there is something we need to discuss." Kilroy cut in. "I for one would like to know your relationship to this girl. She's too old for you to be her father, but she seems to trust you all the same. Care to elaborate?"

"Nah."

"If we are going to be working together, I believe it is a fair question."

"I don't talk about it, 'cause it's nothing you lot need to know. She'll only work with me, talk with me, and walk with me, because she _only_ trusts me, not any of you."

"That brings up another question. She seems to affect a mute, but as you just demonstrated, she can apparently speak just fine. Is there a particular reason she doesn't?"

"She doesn't like to talk 'cause people just make fun of her. Hurts her feelings." Surprisingly, Rudie seemed to nod at this.

"I… see. It is just that I am uncomfortable relying on someone I know nothing about. What is her combat capability? Or her Semblance?"

"Now, now." Tommy spoke up. "I believe this is heading in an unfavorable direction. Charles, young Rudie has a right to her privacy for whatever reason she desires. James has recommended her himself, and that is the only qualification I require."

Dangerously close to lying there, Tommy.

"What makes his word so important?" Jojo asked, "Didn't you say he deserted the military?"

"In all honesty," Tommy replied, "I would have _more_ apprehension if it was Headmaster Ironwood himself who recommended her."

While the kid's eyes bugged out, Jimmy rolled his own. 'Course you wouldn't trust anyone the Big Cheese recommends. They might as well have 'Fucking-Spy' written on their forehead in pure Neon. Innocent Tommy-Boy can't have that.

"Regardless, if we are going to be fighting together, it is better to have compromising weaknesses covered now than in a life-threatening situation." Kilroy seemed set.

"Ain't gonna happen Leadhead." Placing his feet on the ground, Jimmy sat straighter, looking Kilroy directly in the eyes. Tommy looked like he was about to intervene again, but it turned out he didn't need to.

"HEY-O!" A new voice broke the silence, bringing all attention to the now open door. Standing there was a young looking man, dressed in some kind of blue flight suit. His bright white hair was short and spiky, and his blue eyes appeared to lack pupils. Currently, he was held in some kind of pose, arms at his sides like some childhood superhero. He thumbed behind him. "CHECK-UP'S DONE! SHE'S REARIN' TO GO!"

"Thank you, Blue." Tommy answered, not specifying what he was thanking him for.

"Oh, yeah! Jimmy's here!" He ran over to the man, wrapping him in a hug, which Jimmy himself didn't seem to mind. "I missed you, man! How you been?"

"Been good, Blue." Jimmy gave him a pat on the back, before breaking the hug. "I'd like you to meet Rudie. Consider her my second-in-command."

"Well, it's abso-tively posi-lutely wonderful to meetcha, Rudie!" He turned to the girl, which seemed to put her slightly on edge, not helped by his sudden salute. "My name is Blue Sky, your hot shot pilot on these missions!" Rudie, for her part, didn't answer, but then slowly nodded in understanding.

Jimmy took the opportunity to observe the other members of the room. Tommy and Kilroy were both unfazed, the latter even having his eyes closed. Virginia looked a little out of it, but had nothing on the kid. His eyes were the size of plates. Obviously hasn't seen Blue like this, has he?

Then again, it did rain last night, didn't it?

"As wonderful as these introductions are, I believe it is about time to depart." Tommy rang up, snapping attention. "Is everyone ready?"

"Of course."

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, Mr. Stardust."

"You know it!"

"Just don't sit me next to Kilroy." Jimmy finally answered. Beginning to stand, he could only feel one ounce of joy, and that was only because of the guarantee of a clear day.

* * *

The Dirty Fett Bar was not known for its food.

It wasn't even known for its drinks. Located in the middle of nowhere, Mistral, and staffed by about three men all over 30, there was very little to give it flair. However, it was still packed to the brim, as it had been yesterday. The secret, of course, lied in the clientele.

Bounty Hunters.

It was a well-known fact that Mistral's less-than-legal citizenry were much more prominent here than in their neighboring kingdoms. Since Hunters and the Military were busy dealing with the Grimm, who was left to protect people from their greatest enemy: Themselves?

There is no official organization, only a loose collection of Bounty Hunter teams that can be hired, whether publicly or anonymously. While bounty hunting is not officially recognized by any law enforcement, it is an open secret that bars such as this served them almost exclusively.

It was just another day, as several hunters talked amongst themselves of local news. There was an interesting tidbit often discussed today, but so far no one came forward as the perpetrator.

The conversations were paused by the opening of the door. Immediately, almost everyone turned towards the entrance, scouting out the new face. However, several soon turned away, recognizing the man who entered.

He was a fairly tall man, wearing some sort of patched-up jacket with various stitches. Underneath the robe sat a normal looking black shirt, but it was adorned with a chain that wrapped around his back. His face was hidden by a rag, completely concealing his entire head from view. The rag depicted a faux face, with two 'X's' for eyes and a stitched mouth closed, smiling. Topping it off was a silly-looking top hat, which somehow managed to stay still despite his movement. It was a hot topic of discussion on how he could see through the mask, but his skills were undeniable.

He was Cassius Crane, otherwise known as the Bogeyman.

Behind him was a brute of a man, nearly 8 feet tall, who wore a mask as well, but this one more plastic. Some kind of mix between a hockey mask and a smiley face, the only visible part of his face was the bloodshot eyes. Otherwise, his body was hidden by a heavy winter coat with a pulled up hood, as well as dirty jeans and equally mud-caked boots.

"Steven, could you wait outside for a bit? I won't be long." The masked man spoke in a surprisingly clear voice, despite the stifling mask in front of his face. Nodding his head, the giant man turned back, exiting the view of any patrons. It would be a lie to say that Cassius did not draw attention, even through doing something as monotonous as walking across a room. He either looked like a freak or a loon, depending on who you asked, but always acted like the perfect gentleman. Arms crossed behind his back, he approached the bar, where one of the bartenders was waiting.

"Good to see you again, Crane. What can I do for ya?"

"I would like any updates you may have on our… agreement."

"Sorry, don't have much on that end. Only a couple bits of hearsay. No concrete appearances of your scary kids. Speaking of kids, where's junior?"

"Adrian is busy on another target right now. Some White Fang member who attacked the wrong family. Personally, I wasn't interested, so I let him handle the finer points."

"Ok. None of my business anyway." He then leaned in, as if to hide the contents of the next conversation. "There is some news you may be interested in hearin', though. Did you hear about Raven Branwen?"

Cassius gave a low sigh, but instead only shook his head. That was a name he was hoping not to hear in a long while.

"Well, turns out someone did a number on her camp. Some hunters came across the remains a couple days ago, and apparently had to clean a fair bit of Grimm out of it. Gates were torn down, and some buildings were torched. The strange thing, though, was the ground. According to those hunters, the ground had upended itself, as if there was some kind of miniature earthquake in the camp. Only found a couple bodies, so it's likely she escaped, but sounds like she bit off more than she could chew, huh?"

"That's… interesting." Cassius replied. He knew what could have caused such a quake, but he would never say it out loud. Best to play the spectator. "However, the fighting between bandit tribes holds no interest to me."

"That's just the thing." The bartender shot back, "If you want my opinion, it wasn't another bandit tribe. One of her cronies came in, told me he wasn't at the camp when it was attacked. Apparently, the last thing he remembered was being ambushed by some kids. Said they looked harmless, but unleashed Hell when his back was turned. Sound familiar?" As Cassius straightened, the bartender gained a small smile.

"Now, would he have happened to describe these… kids?"

"Sorry, can't go givin' away all the secrets for free, now." He held out a hand, which Cassius seemed to appraise before reaching into his jacket. Withdrawing his wallet, he gathered some Lien and offered it to the bartender, who stuffed it into his own pocket. "Apparently, it was only two. A girl and a boy. Girl was apparently the leader, while the boy was the muscle. Tore through a couple bandits like they were paper, but apparently didn't aim to kill. Last thing he remembered was them asking for a meeting with the boss herself."

"Just a singular girl and boy?"

"S'what he said." He shrugged his shoulder. "Don't know if it's the kids you're lookin' for, but still, sounds suspicious, right."

"I suppose so. It would be concerning if children of their power could just pop out of the woodwork." Then again, he had his own suspicions of why they would want to meet Raven, and if they were correct, they were possibly more dangerous than his current targets. "Regardless, thank you for the information." He stood up, with a small nod of his head.

"Not going to stay and chat?"

"Apologies, but I have an urgent appointment with Raven Branwen."

* * *

"And there I was, surrounded by over 30 naginata wielders. They thought they had me cornered, but they should've known, you never corner a dragon! So, as soon as one tried to slash at me, I grabbed the pole and wrenched it out of his hand! Then, I did the Auntie Hinoka Thing, all 'Whoosh-Whoosh-Whoosh-Whoosh', and knocked 'em all out with barely a sweat. Meanwhile, Morgan was fighting the leader herself, and seemed to be at her limit. The leader was gloating, like 'Ha-Ha, you'll never beat me!' and Morgan fired off a Bolganone right in her face. BLAM! Then, we ran out through the back, while those monsters kept them busy. All in all, we couldn't have done it without the power of Teamwork!"

Kana looked proud as he finished, standing tall with his arms poised at his side.

In contrast, Morgan had her head buried into her hands, while Lilith remained staring. Then, ever-so-slowly, she turned towards Morgan.

"So, over one hundred bandits, hm?"

"It sounded better on the way over." Because her head was covered, the words were muffled, so she lifted them up. "You want the abridged version?"

"Just the truth, please."

"Fine. Came across some bandits in the woods who didn't realize how small of a fish they were, told us about their boss. Thought we'd go over for some information, and actually got in her tent and sat down. Only turns out she's crazy, and thinks simple magic is some kind of witchcraft, and attacked out of nowhere. Kana activated a Vein, I threw a Bolganone, and the monsters came. The end, got out alright."

"I see. And what about the cut on your face?" Morgan seemingly hadn't noticed it, and reflexively reached to touch it with her right hand, giving Lilith a prime view of the scar. Noticing her gaze, Morgan rolled her eyes.

"Ok, fine. She got a lucky shot on me. Nothing Kana's magic couldn't heal."

"Still, that was entirely reckless. What if she had managed to land that blow on your neck? What could Kana have done then?"

"I mean, we've got the turnwheels."

"That's not the point!" Lilith seemed angered, but calmed herself down and closed her eyes. "I understand your confidence, but there is more to it than that. You and Kana are a team, what would he do without you?"

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on leaving him anytime soon."

"Sometimes I truly wonder."

Morgan went silent, before standing up and turning around. Kana remained silent as well. He hated when they fought like this.

"You should go after her." Lilith finally spoke up. "Tell her I'm sorry. I crossed a line." Kana nodded and ran out from the temple, hoping to catch up to Morgan. Her uncle was usually the one to cheer her up when she and Lilith got into fights, but since he wasn't here right now, it was up to Kana to patch things up.

He didn't have to go far, as he found her sitting in the Lottery House. In front of her, the wheel was spinning, manned by a Priestess. Granted, she was not sentient, just a manifestation of Vallite magic, but still, he hoped she wouldn't mind more company. He sat next to Morgan, as the wheel finally stopped, spitting out a bronze ball.

"Terribly sorry. Here is a consolation prize. Try again tomorrow." Reaching under the desk, the Priestess grabbed a small sapphire gem, placing it in front of Morgan. Morgan, however, barely acknowledged it. After all, they had hundreds of stones, food, and weapons, due to the long time spent on these journeys.

"It's not true, y'know." Morgan said, not even looking at Kana.

"Lilith said she's sorry. She didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I know I mess up. A lot. I probably shouldn't have taken us there. I probably shouldn't have gone into her tent. I definitely screwed up. I didn't mean to, and I'm sorry, Kana."

"Don't be like that!" Kana said, gaining a weak smile. "No one could've guessed she'd go crazy like that after seeing such simple magic. You even said she was a mage, right?"

"It doesn't matter. It was a stupid idea anyway."

"Nah, it couldn't have been. It was your idea!" Morgan snickered at this, earning a genuine smile from Kana. She then turned towards him, and he noticed her eyes were watering.

"Can't let a girl wallow in self-pity, can you?"

"Not my best friend! I need her smarts, her magic, and most importantly, her sense of humor!"

"Ah, screw it. Guess I'm better. Want to head back?"

"Sounds good to me!"

* * *

It had been five days.

Five days since her camp was destroyed.

In the span of a few minutes, she had lost over three months' worth of progress. Her trained tribesmen were reduced to panicked children made prey by the Grimm. Her secret, which she had worked so dearly hard to keep, including making a decoy out of her most loyal tribeswoman, had been discovered by a little girl with a penchant for nonsense.

But, she was still alive. Despite the circumstances, she was still alive. While others may have perished, or ran at the first opportunity, she had stayed, rallied her forces, and escaped with minimal losses. However, she could not escape that nagging doubt in her mind. How _had_ she pulled it off?

Those two kids, they had to be agents of Salem. Possibly the ones responsible for attacking the Fall Maiden. Yet, if they were, they were incredibly unprepared.

If their aim was to lower her guard, why had the girl showed off her magic so readily?

Why feel the need to feign ignorance of the area?

Why ask nonsensical questions and lie so pathetically?

It didn't make sense.

Whatever their reasons, they had left as suddenly as they came, and hadn't appeared since. It made her anxious. Had they retreated, or was it all just another part of their plan?

With a sigh, she pushed those thoughts away. Now was not the time for them. They still needed to find the next location. She scanned her surroundings, taking note of the tents and fires strewn around the area. They may have been hit hard, but her tribe was strong enough to survive. She had led them well. She soon entered her own makeshift tent, before sitting down with a long sigh.

"Are you ok, Ma'am?" Vernal asked, right beside her.

"I'm fine. I'm just pondering what our next move will be. Obviously, we need to find a new location for the camp, but we also need to take measures against these new threats."

"Those kids, right?" Raven nodded.

"They felt perfectly safe walking into an armed bandit camp, waltzing into the leader's tent, and worst of all, proved their confidence wasn't misplaced. Have our scouts reported any news from the cities?"

"None. No one's heard of our mystery kids. Almost like they just dropped out of the sky. That can only mean one thing."

"She made the very ground erupt in front of me, Vernal. There should be no doubt in your mind who they answer to."

"Then what can we do? How can we be ready next time?"

"They may have been powerful, but they tipped their hand. We know our opponents, and we know their methods. We have to change our own methods accordingly and subvert their expectations."

"How do we do that?"

"I believe the first step is to bolster our forces."

"You mean, just… let people join the tribe?" There was no mistaking the tone of criticism in her voice. It was understandable, the tribe was family, no exceptions. Letting just anyone join was like saying anyone willing to fight for privilege was as close as family. Still, dire circumstances led to dire choices.

"Not as of yet, but it is one thing to consider. Obviously, if hearts could simply be bought with promises of Lien and power, they would be worthless to us. Simply new ways for Salem to target us. No, we need to ensure loyalty, above all else…" She seemed to want to continue, but found herself distracted by some commotion outside. Standing up, she moved towards the curtain, opening it to assess the situation.

Two tribesmen were accosting someone, but the ever growing crowd made it hard to discern who it was. Exiting the tent, she walked towards the crowd, only to see the two men grasped by the necks with giant hands, and soon lifted up by a tall hooded man. Raven grasped her hilt, intent on assisting her tribesmen, until a clear voice soon rang out, stopping her in her tracks.

"Now, now, I understand recent events have made you all wary, but my brother and I mean you no undue harm. We are actually old associates of Mrs. Branwen, so if you could just let her know we are here, I am sure she would be delighted to see us again."

"…Crane." With her word, the crowd split, allowing her to view the figure of the man who intruded on her camp. Still clad in his patchwork jacket and ridiculous mask, Cassius Crane turned towards her.

"Ah, Mrs. Branwen, a pleasure to see you again." Grasping the brim of his top hat, he gave a respectful bow, while the behemoth behind him released her tribesmen. "We apologize for the brutish display, but your subordinates seemed intent on making things much more difficult than need be."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's quite a warm welcome for your old professor." He shrugged his shoulders, then folded his hands behind his back. "I came to see how you were doing, of course. Will you not invite me into your abode as a guest?"

The meaning was clear. He wanted to discuss something private. With a sigh, she released her hold on her katana, and gestured for him to follow. "Fine. Come with me. All of you, be sure to remain alert!" With her order, the surrounding tribesman returned to their duties, as much as they could in the makeshift camp. She began to walk back to her tent, followed by the freakish duo. When they entered, Vernal stood up, hand on her disk, but was calmed with a wave by Raven.

"Stand down." As she said this, she walked towards the small table, sitting next to Vernal while Crane sat opposite. Steven, however, simply remained standing, arms slack at his sides.

"So, I assume this visit isn't just to check on my health…"

"In a ways. I came to learn about this recent attack on your camp I've heard about."

"I see. Still a loyal pawn for Ozpin, then?"

"Oh no. Not at all." He waved her off, dismissively. "I'm afraid me and the headmaster have had a bit of a falling out. I've left the staff, and his employ. I now work as a Bounty Hunter, along with Steven here."

"I find it hard to believe that he simply just… let you go, given what you know."

"He may be manipulative, but he isn't a monster. I still occasionally speak with your brother as a median."

"How… noble of you."

"Once a student, always a student. I find it hard to let go. Now, would you care to explain what happened?"

"Oh, come now. Am I to believe you don't already know?"

"Quite right, but a good teacher always wants his students to answer the questions. Not the other way around."

"Please. You haven't been my teacher in over twenty years. If you truly think to tug at my heartstrings that way, I would reconsider."

"Very well. To make a long story short, I am hunting certain… priority targets. Children, possessed of extreme power and incredible Semblances. When I heard that it was two children who attacked your camp, I simply had to come by to see if they were who I was after. Could you please describe them?"

Raven remained silent, but soon continued. "There were two in total, an older human girl and a younger Faunus boy. The girl's name was Morgan, while the boy was named Kana."

"Morgan and Kana? Hmm, it could be aliases. Continue, please. What was their garb?"

"She wore some kind of dark purple robe, while the boy was lightly armored with a blue cape."

"Hmm, still not who I am after. Tell me, what were their eyes like?"

"Simply brown and red, respectively."

"And nothing else? Nothing they said or did?"

"Nothing you need to know."

"I see. Then they must have attacked for a different reason. I assume this is the Spring Maiden, then?" While Vernal suddenly tensed, Raven remained calm. "Don't be surprised. I learned it from her brother during one of our last meetings. A pleasure to meet you, young lady. I am Cassius Crane, your chieftain's former professor during her years at Beacon Academy."

"…Likewise."

"Anyways, I assume these children are responsible for the attack on the Fall Maiden?"

"It is safe enough to assume."

"Well then, I suppose we should take care of this before it gets out of hand. Would you like to hire us?"

"I would, if I didn't have an idea of what you would ask for payment."

"Perish the thought. As I said, I no longer work under Ozpin. In fact, consider it a favor for one of my favorite students."

"As _I_ said, you can stop with the meaningless flattery."

"Very well. Thank you for your time. Despite your refusal, I feel we should act anyway, for the good of us all. Is there anything else you feel the need to tell us?"

"No. Best of luck." As if to end the conversation, she stood up, before gesturing towards the exit. Without complaint, Cassius soon followed, before leaving with a small tip of his hat, followed by Steven. After a few more seconds of waiting, Vernal broke the silence.

"Should we be worried about them?"

"Are you asking if they can beat them, or if they will turn on us?"

"Either way."

"I'm willing to believe he cut most ties with Ozpin. They never truly saw eye to eye when I was under him. As for whether or not they can beat those two…" She placed her hand under her chin, as if in thought.

"As you know, when my brother and I enrolled into Beacon, it was for the express purpose of learning to counter other hunters. Needless to say, there were very few ways to learn, except to study how the professors fought Grimm and students fought each other. Crane, however, excelled at combat with Hunters, and trained his students as such. An expert on the study of Semblances and their application, there were very few opponents he could not prepare for. But that was a long time ago, and age certainly has to have caught up to him."

"Meaning?"

"…I wouldn't expect much. Like Ozpin, he clearly underestimates Salem's power."

* * *

"Well, I suppose that went well enough." Cassius was walking away from the camp, trailed by Steven. "Obviously sees them as dangerous if she didn't agree to an alliance. What do you think?"

"Urrghhh…" Steven groaned, his gait unbroken as his bloodshot eyes turned towards Cassius.

"Well of course. If they were indeed the ones who attacked the Fall Maiden, then it is likely the girl has some of her power. According to Qrow, her state is slowly deteriorating, and her power is waning. Judging by the damage done to Raven's camp, fire had to be fought with fire."

"Uurghh…"

"Of course I plan to assemble the students. Even a half-decent Maiden is a dangerous opponent to take lightly. We need to ambush them quickly, with everything we have. We need to call in Adrian and Janos, and arrange somewhere to meet."

"Urrgghh?"

"No, Steven. The Royal 'We'. _I_ will call them in."

"Urgh…"

* * *

It had been a productive few days.

These thoughts ran through Athine's head as she loaded up another box onto the truck. While the boxes were closed, their weight indicated the magnitude of Dust inside. All rightly taken from several locations that belonged to notorious anti-Faunus organizations. The Schnee Dust Company, The Kingston Corporation, and several more. If that wasn't enough, her division had personally launched an offensive on the Havos family, an influential family of Mistral whose eldest son received no punishment for the murder of an innocent Faunus girl.

Well, they made sure that she received justice in the end.

However, no matter how productive it was, such blessings would not stay forever. They needed to retreat back to the Hephaestus Facility, under their leader, General Muride. He would certainly be happy with their haul.

"Captain, that seems to be the last of them." She turned her head completely around to see her second-in-command, Harkin, with his arms crossed. A young bear Faunus, his sleeveless uniform showed off his bare (Get it?) muscled arms, and his short brown hair was barely visible.

Behind him stood the rest of her division, each stood at attention. She let a smile grace her features, proud at her men's diligence. It was what made her division stand out from others under General Muride. While others may have practiced lax organization, she prided herself on commanding her division with prompt and utter control. With a single order, her men would rush to attention, each with a clear objective in mind.

"Excellent." She replied, as she turned her body back to alignment. "That just leaves the drive back. Has Seral reported in?"

"Not yet, but he shouldn't be too much longer. Said he had to be more careful, as apparently Havos put out a bounty on you."

"Hmm, typical. So used to bending the law to their own ends they so easily turn to Bounty Hunters. That's fine. Perhaps when we return, General Muride will give us the order to eliminate them wholesale."

"Yes, Ma'am." He seemed to be about to continue, before a rustling from the nearby woods distracted him. Athine grabbed for her scabbard, hopeful it was Seral, but prepared for anything.

Anything, excluding a young Faunus boy stumbling out of the woods.

Granted, he did not possess any distinct features, but his red eyes, sharp predatory teeth, and pointed ears made it obvious he wasn't human. Judging by the faint salty liquid scent in the air, it was possible he was some kind of fish Faunus. He soon caught sight of the group, and smiled, giving a small wave. It was charming, in a way, and got Athine to lower her guard.

"Hey, you find somethin' Kana?" Another voice called out, soon followed by a girl emerging from behind the boy. She set Athine straight back on edge. No distinct features, nor any kind of bestial smell. Just a simple human girl in a purple robe. "Oooh, boy, what did we wander into?"

It was plain to see the two were friends, which presented a quandary. Athine personally did not see all of humanity itself as an enemy, as she herself had known plenty of human comrades who fought for Faunus rights with fervent passion. The issue lied in her men, who each had a history that could potentially set them off. She noticed Harkin in particular had grown a large scowl on his face. She had to defuse this quickly.

"Human, young Faunus, I think it would be best if you turned back the way you came."

"'Kay, sorry to interrupt whatever is going on here. Can anyone give us directions to the nearest town?"

"Surely you're joking." Harkin spoke up, uncrossing his arms. "You clearly had to come from somewhere yourself, Human. Why not return, with _all due haste_."

"Human _s_."

"Care to repeat that?"

"Humans." She jabbed a thumb at the boy, "Kana here's human, too."

"A very poor lie. I can smell it in the air. The boy is obviously a Faunus. You, however, are not."

"There's that word again. Didn't that Raven lady say something like that to you?" She turned towards the boy, who shrugged his shoulders. While others may have dismissed her words as idle ramblings, Athine felt a small shudder form. It was a well-known fact that Raven Branwen's camp was attacked recently, and if what the girl was saying was true, she was part of whoever was the cause. It was best to tread slowly.

"Human, I would ask you to please speak carefully."

"Or what?" She asked, "Listen, I like the style you've got here, but Camus pulled the mask look off better. I don't care who you guys are, we'd just like some directions. Please?"

"You expect us to believe you don't know the White Fang?" One could not misconstrue the anger in Harkin's voice. "We are the hope for the Faunus race, the ones who will strike back at the humans who seek to oppress us!"

"Dear Naga, I said I don't care." The girl clenched her brow with her fingers, but soon recovered with a fake smile. "Well Golly Gee, Mr. Not-Sirius. That sounds real interesting and all, but we've got things to do, so if you can just point us in the right direction…"

"Your ignorance is appalling. I would apologize for your words before they land you in trouble." The girl rolled her eyes at his words, catching sight of the group who were all focused squarely on her. She then raised an eyebrow, and then pounded her fist into her hand.

"Oh, I get it. Discount Laguz! Awesome!"

"They think I'm a Laguz?" The boy asked, placing his hand to his chin. "Well, that's not _super_ wrong, but I'm closer to a Manakete."

"Kana, let's not even start with that. Anyway, fine, we're just a couple of Beorc who are lost in the woods. Care to point us out?"

"No. Instead, let me offer you a choice. Either turn back, or face the fate of any humans who dare challenge the White Fang!"

"Uugh. Listen, Caineghis- wait, Caineghis was the nice king. Umm… It wasn't Giffca…"

"Skrimir." The boy whispered into her ear.

"Thanks, Kana. Listen, Skrimir, I understand you've got to be big and tough for your men, but you're out of your depth here. We aren't here for a fight, and we don't care what you are. We just want to get out of the woods. So, directions. Please. Now?"

In response, Harkin gave a low growl and approached her. Then, without warning, he grabbed her by the neck of her robe, which she responded to with a low sigh. "Last chance, Human."

This was bad. Not only was Harkin acting out of her orders, he may have been challenging someone who her division had no business trifling with. Judging by the relaxed state of her Faunus friend, he was not afraid for her life. She had to defuse the situation, now.

"If I were you, boy, I would choose better company. Your friend has a terrible habit of running her mouth."

"Eh, she's usually funny when she does it, you know?" The boy shrugged his shoulders again.

"That wasn't a suggestion. That was advice, because you'll unfortunately be alone soon."

This had gone beyond terrible. "Harkin, stand down!"

"No, I'm afraid he's touched a nerve." The girl stated, her voice devoid of any of her previous levity. Athine watched as she reached into her cloak, pulling out a small book with incredible speed. Then, with a hand to Harkin's chest, she gave a shout:

"FIMBULVETR!"

In an instant, a light blue glow enveloped the two, and left as quickly as it came. However, one would be remiss to notice that Harkin's torso was encased in frost, clinging tightly to his body and arms. You could hear him shivering, and the audible hum of his Aura failing.

"Guess that buff goes away after you take enough damage, huh?" The girl was still held by her robe, but no one would think she was in peril. "Anyways, it doesn't matter how strong or tough you are. Your resistance…" She kicked his knee out, bringing him down to one knee while he lost his grip on her robe. "…is still crap." Then she turned towards the remaining division members, who had all backed away, instinctively.

"That goes for all of you, too. Now, care to point us in the right direction?"

Things had truly spiraled out of control. While Athine felt that Harkin acted out of line, as commander, she couldn't allow a blatant attack to be unanswered. Grabbing hold of her sword, she issued an order:

"MEN, DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!"

She didn't miss the girl rolling her eyes as she and the boy dashed back into the woods.

* * *

"…Ok, as the leader, I'll do the magnanimous thing." The speaker was a teenage boy, dressed in a ragged jacket formed of stitches and patchwork. However, underneath the jacket lied a pristine black collared shirt, buttoned up except for the tip. His short black hair was also in pristine condition, combed and gelled in a way that showed his care. Currently, he was cupping his chin, giving observers a view of his gloved hands, some type of padded make marked with some strange eye-like symbol. Then, just as suddenly, he folded his hands behind his back, and opened his green eyes.

"We're lost."

*CRUNCH*

The other occupant of the forest was a girl, who didn't seem to be that much older. Compared to her counterpart, her appearance was much more ragged. Her long white hair was frazzled and unkempt, spilling down her back. Her red eyes stared at him, containing a bare hint of anger. Her own uniform was rather bare, consisting of a dirty shirt contained inside a dark cloak she wore. Currently, she had her foot stamped onto the remains of a Beowolf's skull, as she held its lifeless arm still. Her teeth were bared, giving observers a clear view of the sharp canines.

"…Thank you." She growled, dropping the arm as it began to evaporate. "Now, if you can work towards fixing that, it would be even better."

"Of course, clearly, I must remember some of the outdoorsman wisdom Professor Crane taught me. Now, if I remember right, the Sun rises in the East and sets towards the West. It's about… er, 10:30, give or take, so if the sun is currently in that direction, then East is… somewhere. Do you remember what direction we came in from?"

"Adrian, just call Hetzl."

"No, a leader must prove his worth and level head in times of crisis. If I were to call Hetzl, it would give him feelings of doubt and cause him to question my authority." He shook his head, "Have faith, Brandt. I've gotten us out of worse binds than this."

"Adrian, I'm tired, stressed, and most importantly, hungry. Unless you want me to take a little drink, you'll call Hetzl, and have him activate the tracker."

"W-well, let's not be too hasty, now." Adrian put his hands up, with a crooked smile on his face. Then, he coughed into his fist, and straightened his posture. "Well, I suppose if it is for the care of a fellow teammate, I'm sure Hetzl will understand the extenuating circumstances." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a scroll, and proceeded to start pressing onto the screen.

Soon, however, a nearby sound got earned the pair's attention.

"FAN OUT AND SEARCH!" A feminine voice called out, "THEY COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN FAR!"

"Do you hear that?" Adrian said, popping the scroll back into his pocket. "That sounds like someone! Quick! We must come to their assistance!" With barely another word, he dashed off towards the voice, leaving a slightly confused Brandt before she soon followed after him with a grunt.

When she soon found him, he was crouched down to the ground, and gestured for her to do so as well. Getting onto one knee, she surveyed the clearing they overlooked, soon noticing the source of the voice.

The White Fang. She let another growl escape her lips.

"They seemed to have disappeared, Captain!" Some member spoke to his leader. There were quite a few of them gathered around her, each armed with a standard bladed pistol.

"Alright, their aim is probably to split our fighting strength. We need to spread out to search, but ensure there is no group with less than three members! If you see them, signal your position immediately!"

"YES, CAPTAIN!" With the words, the party split into groups of three, leaving the captain with two guards.

"Looks like she's barely defended." Brandt observed, "I could probably plow through them no problem. How about it?"

"I understand your feelings, but we have to look at this objectively. They are obviously chasing someone, and until we understand who and why, we should not act rashly."

"It's the White Fang! Who they're chasing doesn't matter!"

"I still think we should wait it out…"

"You can do that. I, on the other hand…" She gave a crack of her knuckles, and began to walk toward the slope, only to have a hand stop her shoulder.

"Brandt, please. There are too few of us to counter their numbers. Let me call Hetzl first, and come up with a plan from there."

"And what about who they're after? They could be in trouble!"

"Yeah, and those guys are assholes, anyway."

"Be that as it may- Wait." Turning with Brandt, the two noticed the third voice that had entered the conversation. Behind them, a girl was crouched, observing the clearing just as they had. Her attention didn't seem to be on them, but her previous words showed she was aware of their presence.

"Um, Hello… Ma'am." Adrian began.

"S'up?" She returned. "My name's Morgan, pleasure to meet you. So, do you two hate these guys, too?"

"It's the White Fang, what's to like?"

"Thank you, Brandt." Adrian coughed before continuing, "So, Morgan. I assume you are the one they are after. Can you please explain why?"

"The White Fang after a human? I can't imagine why, oh wise leader."

"THANK YOU, BRANDT."

"Eh, if you want the short story, a friend and I ran across them. We're a little lost, they wouldn't give directions, so I gave them the Morgan Experience. One of them didn't like it, tried to threaten us, and so I froze him. I assume the boss lady did not like that."

"A safe assumption, I assure you." Adrian nodded seriously. "Anyway, my name is Adrian Vansel, and this is my partner, Brandt Strom. Since you seem to be in trouble, we would be happy to assist you."

"Nah, we're good." With a dismissive wave, Morgan stood back on her feet, giving a small stretch of her arms. "My friend's going to be taking care of the grunts, while I'm going to rush the leader. Don't want you two sticking your necks out since you don't have to."

"You seem pretty confident." Brandt continued, "But believe me, we can take care of ourselves."

"Well…" Morgan turned away. "I don't want to sound rude, but… No. No, you can't."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you probably can, Brandt. You've got plenty of strength, defense, and skill. Adrian, here…" She closed her eyes, pressing her hands together, as if she was struggling to continue.

"It's not great for Roy to be the one to beat."

The two looked at each other, before turning back to Morgan.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your speed's really impressive, though! Shame you don't really have the strength to back it up, but you can probably develop it more if you apply yourself. Don't give up!" She gave a small fist pump.

"No, I mean… Actually, I'm just completely confused on what you've been saying."

"Hm? Oh, you mean how can I tell? Well, that's a bit of a long story, so let me just tell you that I can see the potential of others. How strong they can be, how fast they can get, how much damage they can take, and much more. I've used it for so long I can't really turn it completely off anymore."

"So that's your Semblance?" Adrian placed a hand under his chin, "Certainly tame in presentation, but undoubtedly powerful if applied properly."

"…Sure, let's go with that." Morgan shrugged her shoulders, "Anyways, boss lady – Athine, by the way – has decent skill and speed, subpar strength, but she's like the eighth person I've come across with no resistance. She'll be no problem."

"Even so, we cannot stand idly by while someone is in trouble. Please, allow us to assist you."

"Hmm, fine. If you insist. Anyway, Brandt, you can take on whoever you like, but Adrian, you stay behind me. I'll keep you safe."

"I'll have you know I am a trained combatant. While Brandt is my melee superior, I am hardly defenseless."

"Sure you are, kid. And that's why I want you to watch my back. Aaaaaaaaaaaand the best place to do _that_ is right behind it. Sound good?"

Brandt's snickering did nothing to alleviate his frustration.

* * *

"They disappeared."

A soldier uttered this to his partners, who both gave a small nod. It had only been a small while since they had chased them into the woods, and this fact was troubling. Usually, that meant there was some sort of ambush involved.

"Should we head back to the Captain?" Another asked.

"We should look a bit longer." The third replied. "At least make sure some other team gets there before us."

"Sounds good to me." The first spoke again. "Anyways, what are the chances we would run into them anyway?"

"Sorry to say… pretty good." A new voice rang out, causing the three to turn around and come face to face with the boy they were looking for. Hands held behind his back, and head tilted with a smile, he was the very picture of defenseless. "Hi!"

"…Young Faunus." One of them began, "Where is your human friend? Has she abandoned you?"

"No!" The boy gained a small scowl, but soon recovered. "I'd just like to talk. Can I get you guys to leave? You seem like nice enough people, and I'd hate to have to hurt you."

"I would ask you to reconsider. Your friend blatantly attacked Lieutenant Harkin, and we cannot let that go unanswered."

"Yeah, I know she did, but you don't get it. Me and Morgan, we're best friends, y'know. And when someone says anything about splitting us up, she kind of… snaps. I mean, I get mad, too, but she takes it to a whole new level… but I know she wasn't trying to kill him! She just wanted to hurt him for saying that. Are you sure you can't forgive her?"

"I'm afraid not. What has she done to deserve so much of your trust? Has she really convinced you to abandon your Faunus heritage?"

"Believe me, Morgan's really nice when you get to know her. I promise I can get her to say sorry if you just agree to stop fighting!"

"That's impossible. As a human, she is the natural enemy of the White Fang. And if you continue to side with her against your own people – your own brethren – then you will be amongst our enemies as well." As he said this, the soldier grabbed his pistol from its holster, which his comrades followed by grabbing their own. "Now choose!"

Kana didn't answer, instead only shook his head and looked downwards. "Mama always said people should talk more and fight less, but I guess you guys don't think so." Then, without another word, he reached into his armor, pulling out… a sword?

The three had to blink their eyes, to ensure what they were seeing. The boy had somehow hidden a sword almost as tall as he was in rather bare armor. Was it some kind of folding sword? It was still within its blue scabbard, but seemed to be a katana, judging by the curve. The scabbard and hilt seemed intricately designed, with some kind of golden dragon circling around the blade.

"I don't know why you guys think we're family." He continued, as he grasped the sword with two hands. "I'm not a Faunus. I'm a Hoshidan, like my Mama, and her Mama. I've been trained by my uncle, Ryoma, and there's no way I'll lose!"

Then, he exploded.

They would not expect a burst of speed from such a small child, and were caught unprepared as the scabbard slammed down onto the front soldier's shoulder, causing him to recoil. The boy wasn't done, however, bouncing back to a safe distance before the soldier could strike back in reflex. The other two aimed their guns and fired, but the boy jumped to the left with a dodge.

"EVERYONE ASSEMBLE HERE!" One yelled, obeying his captain's orders. "WE'VE FOUND THEM!"

With their duties fulfilled, the three charged the boy, who replied by jumping towards them with a flip. Bringing his sword down in a sweep, he caught one in the arm, before bringing the hilt back into the side of another. With a quick duck, he avoided the stab of a blade, sweeping out the legs of his attacker. Jumping back, again, avoiding the shots of the other two, he tilted his head.

"Your weapons are pretty cool." He said, in a surprisingly sincere tone. "They're like crossbows you don't need to reload, right?" The three didn't answer, only aiming their pistols again. However, this left them unprepared, as he launched another slash, knocking their arms out of alignment and messing up their shot. "But it's too easy to see where you're aiming and mess it up. It's better to use them from far away, and you need to take a proper stance."

Ignoring his words, the three backed off, still continuing to fire bullets, which he either dodged or deflected with his sword. Then, suddenly, he was upon them again, grasping hold of one of their arms and slamming the hilt upon it. Losing his grip, the soldier let go of his gun, which the boy grabbed as he dodged again. He then tossed it into the trees, causing them to lose sight.

"And it's pretty small, too, so you can't keep a strong hold on it. Now, are you done?"

For an answer, the now weaponless soldier ran into melee range, aiming a flurry of punches at the boy. However, it seemed the height difference between the two made this difficult, as the boy weaved out of the way easily, and the soldier could not keep his balance while pushing so much force into his strikes. With a jump and another spin, the boy slammed the hilt into the side of his head, which seemed to be a decisive blow, as his Aura soon fizzled out as he fell onto the ground. Judging by his lack of movement, he may have lost consciousness.

The two remaining soldiers lined up their pistols again, but soon found they were not alone. A series of clicks rang out, as several other White Fang members appeared out of the foliage, all with guns aimed at the boy. It certainly didn't look good for him.

But the boy just stood there, immobile except for his eyes, and then gave a slow sigh.

"I'm really sorry about this."

*BANG*BANG*BANG*BANG*BANG*BANG*

* * *

"So, they've found them, then?"

Athine felt her eyes roll at one of her comrades, who seemed to ask such an obvious question. She was never one for sarcasm, but how dearly she wanted to ask what he thought they were shooting at. Nevertheless, she answered as a captain should.

"It seems so. Come, we have to back them up and assess the situation." She turned towards the sound of gunfire, but was soon stopped by another voice.

"Going somewhere?" The girl who had attacked Hardin came out of the trees, flanked by two youths she didn't recognize. "Let Kana handle your grunts. You're fighting me, now."

"Human, so quick to abandon your Faunus friend? Despicable." She withdrew her sword from her scabbard, while her two associates readied their pistols. Morgan, for her part, simply crossed her arms and smiled.

"Ok, guys. Here's the plan-"

"MINE!" With barely a word, Brandt launched herself towards Athine, getting her into a tackle that sent the two rolling. It was so fast that the two other Fang members didn't register it at first, keeping their guns trained on Adrian and Morgan while their heads followed the brawl.

"…No, she doesn't do that often." Adrian replied, answering a predictable question. "Only when the White Fang is involved. Anyways, I can take the one on the left. Can you handle the right?"

"Any reason?" Morgan asked, withdrawing her tome from her cloak. "Is it because she's the woman?"

"Of course not! I am not a misogynist! It was just a matter of… um, circumstance. Yes, that's right."

"Riiiiight, kid." Morgan pointed a single finger at the soldier, while opening the tome with her other hand. "DISROBING GALE!"

From her finger, a burst of green wind came forth, heading straight for the woman who braced herself. However, it seemed unnecessary, as the wind passed by her, almost harmlessly. Unfortunately, her uniform and mask were not so lucky. To her credit, despite her blush, she did not let out a screech. That honor belonged to Adrian.

"DEAR LORD, MORGAN!" He blocked his eyes, despite the obvious repercussions.

"HAHAHAHA!" She, however, was mirthful in laughter, despite the hateful gazes of the two members.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY! THIS IS HARASSMENT!" He peeked out from his fingers, only to return to them immediately.

"It is to me!" She answered, as the male member braced his pistol and ran at her. "If you don't want funny, though…" She dodged the first slash and grasped him by the wrist.

"NOSFERATU!"

Instantly, the man grunted as a dark energy began to form around where Morgan was grasping. Although he tried to fight her off, he soon began losing strength, and began shaking his knees as he struggled to stand. Soon, he was on the ground, and the silent hum of his Aura failing rang out. Morgan let go of his wrist, and he collapsed further.

"There. Lady's yours, kid." Without even looking at the shaking half-naked soldier, she began to walk towards the two brawlers, leaving Adrian alone. Lifting his hand to observe his opponent, he then coughed into his fist.

"I'd just like to say I do not condone her actions… at all."

The woman charged.

Meanwhile, Brandt and Athine were still on the ground, struggling against each other. Brandt was pushing down with both fists upon Athine's sword, seemingly unhurt despite the bladed edge. With a grunt, she lifted both her hands, slamming them down in another hammer strike to hurt the White Fang captain. When that seemed ineffective, she seemed intent to repeat the motion, which gave Athine an opening.

Kicking with an unpinned leg, she managed to launch Brandt away with a kick to the solar plexus. With an 'oomph', Brandt flew through the air, backflipping onto her feet a good distance away. She gave a low growl, showing off her elongated canines.

"You're a Faunus as well? What possible reason could you have to fight us?"

"You really are just like the others, aren't you?"

"What 'others' would that be?"

"Idiot White Fang who don't understand how much more they hurt than help. Believe me, I've met plenty of them."

"So, you're another Faunus that's been led astray. I wish you could only see the truth, sister."

"The truth, huh." Brandt bent low, with one hand on the ground. "Let me tell you one truth I've learned, 'Sis.' The White Fang has another name for Faunus like me…" With surprising speed, she launched towards Athine.

"COLLATERAL!"

Instead of a straight punch, Brandt shifted to her left, bringing the cape of her cloak up in a sort of slash. Athine tried to strike with her sword, but was surprised as something hard inside the cape deflected her sword. Ducking out from her cloak, Brant launched an uppercut that hit Athine dead on, sending the captain reeling back, only to follow into a slash that Brandt had to avoid.

"Your cape is durable." Athine said, "Might I ask how you've designed it?"

"It wasn't mine, it was my mother's." Running in a low stance, Brandt spun again, bringing the hard cape into a flurry to attack Athine. However, the captain showed her expertise, deflecting the strikes with practiced movements, before launching another kick when she felt there was an opening. However, she was not so lucky, as Brandt dodged the kick, leaving her unbalanced.

Despite the opening, Brandt ducked back, allowing Athine to recover her stance.

"Your mother sounds like a strong fighter. What was her name?"

"You really can't see it, can you?" Brandt nearly hissed out the words, and her mouth slowly opened, showing off her canines again. However, if one were to closely observe, it was obvious her canines were now not the only sharpened teeth.

Before Athine could notice, however, Brandt charged again. Swinging her cape from the left, Athine stepped out of the way, before slashing with her sword again. Only, this time it was a feint.

*CRUNCH*

Athine's eyes nearly bugged out, as Brandt had caught the blade with only her teeth. Worse still, Athine could not get the sword free from her mouth, as if it was caught in an iron trap. Who was this girl?

"Eeh, oaw eel e ayzie…" Brandt mumbled, mouth blocked by the sword. Her arm was now grasping the blade, all force lost due to the grip from her teeth. While Athine was stuck pulling, she noticed that the girl's teeth had changed. Despite her canines being the only strange teeth previously, her mouth was now filled with large sharpened points, all clamping down on the sword. And… oh, shit. Were those cracks?

"Aw-eyore." What? Before she could vocalize, Brandt's lip edges curled into a smile, and a low creaking sound rang out.

*SNAP*

The sword broke into thirds, hilt still held by Athine, blade still within Brandt's mouth, and the tip held by a retreating Brandt. Athine backed away, disturbed at the scene in front of her, as Brandt began… chewing. While she did so, a disgusting sound of grinding metal rang out.

*GULP*

"…Haaaahhh." Brandt sighed in release. "Omnivore. It's my Semblance… scared yet?" Brandt didn't seem satisfied, as she soon held the tip to her mouth, and bit down again, tearing the blade further with a jerk of her neck. She continued chewing, again, as she threw the remaining piece aside. It was practically unusable, now.

"W-What kind of _freak_ are you?" Athine was shaking, slightly, but proving she was still a Captain.

Brandt didn't answer, continuing to chew, but soon swallowed her remaining 'meal'.

"Come on, 'Sis.' Really thought we had something going, there." The mockery was evident, and was soon followed by another pounce. Although Athine regained her nerves, she didn't realize how much the loss of her blade affected her, swinging wildly off balance due to the missing weight.

Brandt capitalized on this. Ducking slightly, she launched another Haymaker, this one strong enough to knock Athine straight down onto her back, hilt flying out of her hand. Before giving her a chance to recover, Brandt was on her again, with a vicious hammer strike to her face. Then a right hook. Then left.

Then a right.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Left.

The humming of Athine's Aura fizzling out did nothing to stop her, and Brandt soon drew blood from her lips and nose. Then, with a final punch, she stopped, while Athine had firmly lost consciousness. Brandt was panting, but not out of any sort of exhaustion. Instead, she seemed to be on a high, and had to control herself before she killed her opponent. She held her wrist, and took in a deep breath of air, seeming to calm down.

*CLAP*CLAP*CLAP*

Brant turned to see Morgan, clapping, with a small smirk on her face. "Nice restraint." She said, "Thought I had to step in there for a second."

"…No need to worry. I won't stoop to their level after I've already won." Getting up from the prostrate woman, she gave a small stretch of her arm, before completely turning around to observe their own battle. Behind Morgan, one of the grunts was huddled onto the ground, and Adrain seemed to have taken care of the other, trapping her unconscious form in some kind of hold. However…

"Why is she half-naked?"

Adrain flinched, and immediately stood up from the hold. The woman was unconscious, but no worse for wear than her partner. Adrian began stammering, pupils looking left and right for some kind of distraction.

"…Why is yours _not_ half-naked." Morgan stepped between them, arms crossed behind her back. If Brandt could see behind her, she would see the thumbs-up Morgan was giving Adrian.

"What?"

"Hm?" Morgan tilted her head, smile still ever-present. Before Brandt could continue, Adrian spoke up.

"Let'snotworryaboutthat!" He quickly sputtered out, only to cough into his fist. "Anyways, how did your own battle go?"

"Eh, nothing much once she lost her weapon." She crossed her arms. "Anyway, you got a pair of cuffs? I left mine with Mary." Adrian nodded, reaching into his jacket and withdrawing a set of handcuffs. Walking over to the comatose leader, he flipped her onto her stomach, and took hold of both arms.

Noticing Morgan's curious gaze, Brandt spoke up.

"Dampening Cuffs. Keeps anyone's Aura suppressed and stops them from using their Semblance. Pretty cool, huh?" Morgan seemed to be about to say something, but a nearby rustling distracted them. Out of the woods came a young white-haired boy, with a small frown on his face.

"Oh, that's my friend." Morgan quickly said, "Hey, Kana. Easy enough to take down?"

"Yeah…" Kana seemed to half-sigh, as he slowly trotted over to Morgan. "They didn't really want to talk it out."

"Well, you tried, Kana. Proud of you." She ruffled his hair, causing him to swat her hand away. "Anyway, I'd like you to meet some nice people I found. This is Brandt, and the guy over there is Adrian."

"Nice to meetcha, I'm Kana." Kana replied, performing a formal bow in greeting with his arms pinned to his sides. Meanwhile, both teens stared at the boy before Adrian spoke up.

"Um, pardon my rudeness, but… isn't he a little young to be fighting armed White Fang members?"

"Don't judge him on looks alone, he's pretty strong. Stronger than me, even." To punctuate this, Kana flexed his arms while she spoke, although the effect was lost due to his size. "Anyway, thanks for helping us out there. Would you happen to know where the nearest town is?"

"You mean you're lost as we-I mean, so you're lost in these woods? Unfortunate. Anyway, we are not aware of any settlements nearby either, so…" He seemed about to continue, until a small ringing from his pocket distracted him. Reaching in, he pulled out a glass square, emblazoned with a masked man Morgan and Kana couldn't recognize.

"Please hold on a second. I need to take this." Adrian pressed the screen, then held it up to his ear. "Yes, sir?"

"…Who is he talking to?" Morgan turned to Brandt, pointing a singular finger at the boy.

"Our teacher. An incredibly powerful former hunter, if anyone can help, he can. You want to come with us to meet him?"

"Um, thanks, but-"

"That sounds awesome!" Kana cheered, stepping between the two. "We'd love to!" Morgan may have objected, but Kana's sparkling eyes soon shut her down.

"Thanks, that sounds good…" She mumbled, averting her gaze.

"Really, immediately?" Adrian spoke up, seeming to try and get Brandt's attention. "Of course, sir. We're just a little lost right now. No, I assigned Hetzl and Marion on sentry. You will? Can you activate the tracking on your scroll so we can meet with you? Thank you. See you then." With those words, he pulled the glass from his ears and pressed down again.

"It looks like there's been some trouble. Professor Crane wants us all to meet as soon as possible. Please grab the Captain, he may want to speak with her." Brandt nodded, while Adrian continued to press on his glass screen. He then turned towards the remaining two. "You both are quite skilled in battle. We would be happy to have you assist us if you are willing."

"Well, I guess we owe you." Morgan replied. "Anyways, lead the way."

Adrian nodded, while the glass square gave a small ping. "Hmm, seems like they're about two miles away."

"How do you know?" Morgan asked, as Brandt approached with Athine held over her shoulder.

"My scroll here. It has a built-in tracker for all members of our group. It can lead us directly to Professor Crane."

"Cool. How does it do that?"

Adrian and Brandt looked between each other. They knew the two were old fashioned, based on their clothes, but who hasn't heard of a scroll?

"Um, I'm not completely sure."

"Ah, someone else enchanted it, huh? Gotta be careful, man, you may not be able to bring out its full potential."

The two exchanged a glance between themselves again.

"Um, quite right. Anyway, allow me to lead the way."

"By the way, have either of you seen a dragon around?"

* * *

"Ok, Mary: Question."

The speaker was a fairly old adolescent, perhaps already in his second decade. His deep voice portrayed his confidence, punctuated by his lack of a shirt underneath his patchwork jacket. His long black hair was rather shaggy, blocking one of his eyes from view while the other blue orb stared forward with excitement. In his right hand, he held some sort of shovel, obviously mechanical judging by the extra mass added to the spade.

"Hm?" The girl who answered him seemed pretty much his opposite. Subdued and silent, her short hair was a mix between white and black. Her eyes seemed half-closed, as if she was on the edge of falling asleep. She did not wear the patchwork jacket of her compatriot, instead a loose white T-shirt that seemed to be a size too big. How she made up for that, though, was on her face. There was a stitch mark going straight though one of her eyes, and closer inspection might reveal why. She was heterochromic, with the unstitched eye brown, and the stitched eye a deep purple.

"What organ can a Human/Faunus body live without?"

"Y-You... S-Sick… Bastards!" In front of the man, stuck to a tree by rope, was a White Fang soldier. His body was bruised, and his mask was removed, giving anyone a clear view of his bleeding nose.

"Well, that depends. Most organs that come in pairs, such as the kidneys and lungs, can be reasonably removed while the other can expand to handle the extra strain. Then again, you can never forget the spleen, either. You just have to account for the higher risk of infection. Also, some Faunus inherit animal traits that can be safely removed without permanent harm, such as venom sacs in snake Fauni and silk glands in certain Spider Fauni."

"Is he either of those?"

"Obviously not. He is a hawk Faunus, suitably assigned as a scout due to his superior sight and hearing compared to other species."

"Cool. No excuse for hubris, though." He tilted the man's head up with his spade, before giving it a quick slap. "You should be careful getting so close to enemy camps. Only an idiot would get lost so close to their own campsite. Anyway, Mr. Scout: We happen to be looking for a certain Faunus. Some lady who attacked a certain mansion recently. Know anything about that?"

"You'll… never… get me to talk!" The man was hyperventilating, but his gaze was still firm.

"So, you've got something to talk about, then?" The youth raised an eyebrow, which caused the man's pupils to dilate. "Ah, hell. Got to start somewhere. Anyway, guess I'll start with the… Appendix?" He turned towards the girl, who twisted her hand in a non-committal gesture. "Appendix it is."

"Wait, Hetzl." The girl spoke up again, "While survival without the organs is possible, the pain necessary to remove them could jolt the brain into error, causing the heart to fibrillate erratically. In doing so, he may enter shock, and die of oxygen or blood loss."

"Really?"

"…Eh. Maybe?" The girl shrugged her shoulders.

"I like those odds!" He raised his shovel.

"Y-YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" The man was desperately trying to break free from his bonds, but to no avail.

"I agree." Marion spoke up again. "The risk might be too dangerous, and if he perishes before Adrian returns, we may be unable to learn any important information. It would be best to wait."

"That's a good point." Hetzl lowered his shovel, "I wonder if I agree. Hold on a second…"

*CRACK*

Then without warning, his neck snapped. At least, that was what it sounded like. His neck didn't rotate, instead bending in a fairly light angle with an audible crack. However, one detail someone would notice was the change of his eye color. While originally it was blue, now it was a bloodshot red.

"HA, GUESS NOT!" With those words, he raised his spade again, blade raised behind him. "TRY NOT TO DIE, KAY?!"

He jerked his arm, but found something stopping the blade. He peeked behind him, to see the familiar form of his assistant professor.

"Oh. Hi, Mr. Crane." Marion said.

*THWAP*

With a downward chop, Steven sent Hetzl into the ground, face-first. The boy stayed there for a second, before the same cracking sound was heard. When he lifted his head, his eye had returned to its blue color.

"Ok, I know what it looks like…"

"Save it." Another voice spoke out, from behind the behemoth. The speaker looked to be of similar age to Hetzel, but had the defining features of wolf ears sticking out of his gray hair. He did not wear the uniform of his professor, instead wearing a tight black jumpsuit with a long silver scarf. His yellow eyes were focused on Hetzl, while his arms were crossed. "Where is Adrian? It's poor form to leave _you_ unattended."

"He's got Mary, here." Another boy spoke, this one covered in bandages. His arms, legs, torso, even some spots on his face. The only spot without bandages was his hair, braided into dreads. Some bandages were wrapped around, some were stuck, and some just seemed random. The entire layout was asymmetrical, as if the bandages were actual relief instead of a strange fashion statement. In addition to those, he sported a loose combat vest and cargo shorts. His brown eyes strayed between the two.

"My point still stands."

"Now that's unfair…" The voice to Marion's defense was not her own, but of a boy who decided to sit next to her. His blonde hair was cut short, and partially covered by a white hoody he wore. He seemed rather morose, as his head was slightly tilted down, his blue eyes scanning the ground. He then shifted his sight towards Marion. "Don't you think, Mary?"

Marion shrugged.

"Regardless, where is he?" The wolf-boy asked again.

"I dunno, went out with Brandy somewhere. Probably some make-out time or something." He then tilted his head, "Speaking of making out, where's the squirt?" This drew a growl from the wolf-boy, but he soon returned to a neutral expression.

"She is with Professor Crane, ensuring the Grimm will stay clear of this area. He told us they would soon be arriving."

"Anyway, I just want to put out there that I was only aiming for intimidation. I likely – definitively – was not aiming to kill. Probably."

"So, who is this man?"

"Eh, just some White Fang scout that bit off more than he could chew. Found him sneaking around and tied him to a tree after a quick chase. Good times."

The man remained silent through all this, but seemed about to say something. His words were interrupted, however, by the rustling of nearby trees. Out of the forest came four people, with a fifth being carried by one. They recognized their two comrades, but the other three, the unconscious woman, the teenage girl, and the young boy, were new. However, it seemed the man had gotten over his silence.

"CAPTAIN?!" He screamed in panic, before gaining a frozen expression as all eyes focused on him.

"Captain, eh~?" Hetzl seemed to ask in a sing-song, before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Well, guess we got who we're after, huh? Suppose we should let you go, huh?" Then, with a quick flash, he launched a chop into the man's neck, sending him into a similar state to his captain. "What's that, buddy? Speak up!" He shook the man's form.

"I see you have already found the target, Boss." Marion said. "Impressive, and here we are still stuck in the interrogation phase."

"As expected of Adrian, am I right?"

Adrian stopped for a second, looking between his two teammates and then Brandt. Then he coughed into his fist.

"Of course. A good leader takes initiative instead of just having his subordinates follow orders."

While Marion and Hetzl seemed to nod seriously, the other teens rolled their eyes, including the mystery girl.

"Who are these two?" The wolf-boy asked, pointing a finger at the girl.

"Relax, Wilhelm." Brandt spoke up. "They're just some guys who were being chased by the White Fang. They helped us fight them off, so we decided to help them out by introducing them to Professor Crane." She gestured to the girl, "This is Morgan…" She then pointed to the boy, "This is Kana."

"Morgan, Kana: This is our full group. Mary, the girl on the ground, and Hetzl, the guy with the spade are part of our team. Wilhelm here is part of SVJW."

"Nice to meet you." Morgan said, giving off a dismissive wave.

"Hi!" Kana continued, with a much more enthusiastic wave.

"…A pleasure." Wilhelm replied. "As she said, my name is Wilhelm Fenson. These are my present teammates, Seth Armond…" The bandaged boy raised his hand in a wave. "And our leader, Janos Chaine." The sitting boy nodded. "The large gentleman is our assistant professor, Steven Crane, while our professor is currently out right now."

"He's pretty big, ain't he?" Morgan stared up at Steven, who seemed to tilt his head in interest.

"Quite. Would you mind if I asked how you came to be wandering around the woods?"

"We're lost." Morgan shrugged her shoulders. "Just looking for the nearest town."

"…I see. Well, I would suggest you find a comfortable seat, as our professor should not be long…" Suddenly, his wolf ears perked up, "Speak of the Bogeyman…"

Behind Wilhelm, another rustling came from the trees, which was soon followed by two figures. The first was a tall man, clad in a patchwork jacket, top hat, and some sort of stitched mask. Behind him was a young girl, who seemed to wear some sort of black cape and an equally ridiculous pointed hat.

"Ah, it seems everyone has arrived…" The man said, his voice clear despite the stifling mask in front of his mouth. "And we have some guests. Might I inquire your names?" Morgan wasn't sure how he saw them, but it certainly set off a few flags.

"And you must be Professor Crane, huh?" She shifted slightly in front of Kana, as if to protect him. "Nice to meet you. My name's Morgan, and this is Kana."

Then, the man stopped. Then, he tilted his head, ever so slightly.

"Morgan… and Kana, you said?"

"…Yeah?"

Crane stood still, but then reached into his jacket.

"Professor?" Brandt asked, from slightly behind Morgan.

.

.

.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

 **Chapter 2 – End:**

 **Author's Notes:**

Hey, just made it in two weeks! Hopefully! Maybe?

Meh.

Anyways, I've introduced a lot of OC's _**DO NOT STEAL**_ this chapter, haven't I?

Well, these won't be the last, unfortunately. I mean, what do you expect from an FE crossover? I have a couple more lined up, but after that, maybe I can finally get to Beacon. Probably won't be until Chapter 5 or 6, though. Sorry…

Anyways, yada yada, how was the comedy, character consistency, etc.

Seriously, though. Any problems you see, let me know.

Moving on, I'd like to make something clear. Hopefully it was a funny joke, but I made a little dig at Roy in that scene, and I know that FE6 is real up there in popular ranking. Now, I'd like to make one thing clear: I am biased. I love certain games in the series, and I hate others with a fervent passion. However, I will do my best effort to not try to paint them as the way _I_ feel they are. I want defensible reasons _Morgan and Kana_ feel that way towards certain events. See, FE6, I think it's great, not best in the series, but pretty great. However, Roy sucks as a unit. Morgan would make note of that, no getting around it. That's it: Just a joke about his stats, not about his character or his game.

So, please understand, I have my biases, but I'm trying my best not to put them into the story, beyond how I feel Morgan and Kana react to them. So, if I make a joke at the expense of a character, please don't take it personally. Or do, I guess. I don't know. Just make sure you don't think I can invalidate your feelings on any game or character in the series.

Anyways, I think I should answer the last question I raised in Chapter 1, who/what Jimmy, Rudie, and Tommy are based off, since I introduced a couple more players. Not Ace and Chesh, though. I'll still keep them a little secret. For their naming sense, I used: "Characters from music/songs I like." See if you can spot any references I make regarding that.

Jimmy Poe – Based on _Green Day's_ "St. Jimmy," declaring himself, "a son of a bitch and Edgar Allen Poe."

Rudie – Based on _The Clash's_ "Rudie Can't Fail," or as I like to call it, "Woodee can't Faya!" Seriously, I love Joe Strummer, but he could not enunciate words properly.

Thomas Stardust – Based on _David Bowie's_ Major Tom from "Space Odyssey" and Ziggy Stardust from "Just Guess the Name of the Song." I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of David Bowie, but the songs that I love, I just straight up love.

Charles Kilroy – Based on _Styx's_ "Mr. Roboto," where at the end it is revealed he was Kilroy THE WHOLE TIME! Anyway, someone once told me his name was an acronym for R.O.C.K., and I forgot the first two letters, so stuck with Charles.

Jojo Martin – Based on Jojo and Loretta Martin from _The Beatles'_ "Get Back." Did you think I chose him over any other Beatles character for a reason other than the fact I will at some point get to write down "Get back, Jojo!" at some point? If you didn't, prepare to be surprised: I _am_ that shallow.

Virginia Leone – Based on _Billy Joel's_ Virginia from "Only the Good Die Young" and Mama Leone from "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)."

Blue Sky – Seriously? Did you guys and gals not watch GOTG2? Based on the _Electric Light Orchestra's_ "Mr. Blue Sky."

Anyway, almost done.

So, a few things I have left to speculate about.

Who are Professor Crane and his students based off?

Who are these other children he is after?

Who is this mysterious uncle of Morgan's? IS IT… INIGO? Eh, probably.


	4. Chapter 3: What's a Semblance, Anyway?

**Disclaimer: You know, people to this day still think I'm joking when I say Drax is my favorite GOTG character. Like, you know in comedy shows when someone asks for an opinion, they get one, start laughing, and then say "'Kay, man. Now, tell me how you really feel." That actually happened to me, and it kind of pisses me off. Like, I get that Drax is built around a joke, but so is everyone else in the fucking cast. Fuck you. I can like Drax.**

 **See, he's not my favorite MCU character, because _Captain America_. But, I just love him because he's so relatable. Namely, I, too, am a dense motherfucker. My friends sometimes have conversations that go way over my head, and I think they're talking about something else, so when I add my two cents, they give me some pure WTF looks. I don't get many jokes, and one time my boss laughed at me because I followed her instructions that were meant as a joke. Like, I know they aren't trying to be mean, but it still hurts, you know? If you don't want me to do something, don't tell me to do it!**

 **Anyway, that's partially why I hate the opening of GOTG 2. When that hentai monster attacks, or whatever it's called. Remember when Drax jumps into its mouth, and Quill's like "Why did he do that? Doesn't he know the skin is just as hard on the inside?"**

 **I was all ready for Drax to be a badass, 'cause I was like, "Quill, you idiot, he's not aiming for the skin, he's aiming for organs."**

 **BUT NO!**

 **Drax just has to suck in this opening scene, huh?**

 **Thank god there was that part later where he's sick of them fighting so he just straight up jumps out the ship and starts blasting. Knew you were my favorite for a reason, big guy.**

 **Chapter 3: What's a Semblance, anyway?**

"Kana…"

"Hm?"

"Y'know, even though Lilith and I don't get along too well, sometimes, when the smoke clears, I'm not too proud to admit she may be right on some things. Sometimes."

"Kay?"

"One of those is my language. She's told me a couple times to control myself, and I think I do a good job. Don't want to poison your ears with profanity, y'know."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. You act pretty mature for your age, so reverting to childish language when you act in such a way is unbecoming of your senior. So, for that, I'm sorry."

"Aw, it's ok, Morgan. I get it…"

"It's just that I tend to get AGITATED, when the first three groups of people we come across END UP ATTACKING US. Then, have the nerve to RESTRAIN US, in FU- VERY UNCOMFORTABLE HANDCUFFS!" To punctuate her point, she held up her restrained arms, giving a small shake of the Dampening Cuffs.

"Your annoyance is noted." Crane replied, standing at the head of the procession. Beside him stood Steven, as well as Hetzl, who held his spade on his shoulder. "But, at the same time, is unnecessary. Believe me, you have received a very hospitable reception compared to the Captain."

The woman he was referring to was still unconscious, being dragged along by her collar. She was held by Seth, who stood at the back. In all honesty, it appeared Seth was disinterested in his captive, only providing occasional glances to affirm her condition.

"I agree with her, Professor." Brandt spoke up, walking beside Adrian, both placed to Morgan and Kana's left. "They helped us deal with those White Fang grunts. I think it's a little unfair to hold them like this... Especially since they didn't resist."

"Just a little?" Morgan asked.

"Calm down, I'm on your side, here."

"Wilhelm, I'm confused." The small girl spoke, currently sat upon Wilhelm's shoulders, to the right of Morgan and Kana. "What exactly did they do?"

"I'm not quite sure, myself, Victoria." He turned his head towards Crane. "Would you care to enlighten us, Professor?"

"These two were the priority targets I called all of you for."

"Wow, Boss. That's two times in a row." Marion and Janos stood side-by-side, behind Wilhelm. "You've got to leave something to us, right?"

"Not helping, Marion." Adrian answered back. He then coughed into his fist. "Why are they such a threat, Professor?"

"Thanks buddy. Glad to know you've got my back…"

"From what I understand, these two are responsible for the attack on Raven Branwen's camp."

"EUUUUUUUGHHHHHH!"

That sound came from Seth, located in the back, drawing the attention of everyone except for Steven, Crane, and Hetzl.

"…I just thought we were supposed to gasp at that…" Seth rubbed the back of his head.

"I suppose we're missing some context." Janos spoke up. "Who is Raven Branwen?"

"A very powerful Huntress…" Hetzl spoke up, "Leader of a certain Bandit tribe, an accomplished swordswoman, and a graduate of Beacon Academy. Isn't that right," He turned towards Crane, giving a clear view of his beady black eye, " _Professor_?"

"Astute as always, Hetzl."

"I've wanted to fight her for a while, now. I, however, don't really want to, but you know how I get. I just can't deny a challenge."

"Quite. Raven Branwen was a former student of mine, back in the days when I taught at Beacon. When I first heard her camp was ransacked, I had to investigate firsthand. She was charitable enough to enlighten me with names and a general description."

"Dang, she survived?" Morgan tilted her head.

"Yes. So, may I ask how and why you ransacked her camp?"

"In our defense, she started it." Morgan held up her hand, showing off the scar she had received from the encounter. Crane, however, did not look back, instead keeping his head forward.

"Allow me to apologize on her behalf, then. Even back as a student she had a very paranoid disposition."

"Well, thank you. Apology accepted. Now if you can just take these off…"

"No. Not until I've asked you two a few questions. One in particular I would like answered now, in fact…" Turning his head to face Morgan, he stopped walking, bringing the procession to a sudden halt.

"Are you a Maiden?"

At this, Morgan remained silent, affixing Crane with a cold hard stare. She then turned towards Kana.

"Kana, close your ears and sing a song."

"Sing with me a song, of Birthright and love, na-na-na, something true, sky above…" Kana stuck his hands over his ears, shaking his head while he sang.

"You might want to cover her ears too, wolf boy." Victoria raised her eyebrow, but soon found her ears covered by her partner.

"First off…" Morgan began…

"That's just creepy! Where do you get off asking a girl that?"

Crane sighed, then turned back towards his original path.

"Second, that's just _rude_. What, you think I'm too tomboyish to find a guy?"

Crane began walking.

"And third… dream on, buddy. Masks are cool and all, but this is not the best first impression you can have with a lady!" To accentuate her point, she gave another shake of her shackles.

"Enough!" Crane demanded, "Whether you're willing to answer or not, I have my ways of finding out..."

"…Seriously, does no one else find that threatening?"

"…I would tend to agree sir. I don't see what her… um…" Adrian began to trail off.

"Virginity, Boss." Marion piped up. "Although if you want to go into specifics, you can specify her hym-"

"That, yes."

"He's not talking about her _maidenhood_ , Adrian." Hetzl spoke up. "He is asking whether or not she is the one who attacked the Fall Maiden."

"Like, from the old fairy tale?" Janos spoke up.

"The very same." Crane answered.

"Wouldn't she be… I dunno, dead? By this point?"

"I will explain the circumstances later. For now, we will put our hunt for the Homunculi on hold. We need to ensure whether she is truly innocent, as she claims."

"Well, thanks for the fair trial, I guess. Sound good Kana?" However, the boy didn't answer, still stuck in his song. Morgan reached out to touch his arm.

"Na-Na-Na-Na, Leonard Bernstein! Hm?" Feeling her touch, Kana let go of his ears.

"Anyway, guess we're going through a test Kana. You up for it?"

"Is it a dance-off?"

"…Is it?" Morgan turned towards the professor.

"No."

"Dang. Guess I'm up first, then. Consider yourselves lucky."

"I suppose this is as good a location to set up camp as any…" With those words, the professor stopped. "Adrian, you Janos, Marion, and Brandt can begin setting up the tents." The four nodded, before breaking off from the procession. Morgan noticed Brandt giving her an apologetic look, with a small, unheard whisper.

'It'll be ok.'

"Victoria, you take Wilhelm and survey the surroundings for Grimm." The small girl tipped her hat, before pointing in a direction, which the wolf boy followed without complaint.

"Steven will hold the captain. Hetzl, Seth, you two stay here, and watch over young Kana."

"Where am I supposed to be going?" Morgan asked, her gaze hardened.

"Nowhere physical." The man shrugged, as if that constituted an answer. He then reached into a pocket on his jacket, pulling out a small pill bottle. "I would request that you take one of these."

"Is it poison?" Morgan asked, taking the bottle before holding it up to see the pills inside.

"Not at all. Just a healthy dose of Quietamine, a powerful sleep aid."

"…I see. And I just eat it?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Guess I can do that. Kana, if anyone besides Brandt tries to touch me while I'm asleep, _unleash the Dragon_."

Kana nodded seriously, before letting out a small 'Grrr…', holding up his hands as if they were claws.

"Delightful." Crane then turned to Hetzl, conveniently missing Morgan retrieving a pill from the container. "Hetzl, if you could grab a bottle of water, quickly-"

"BLEHG!" Morgan cried out, before slowly beginning to chew the pill, before giving a final, slow, swallow. "WHAT'S IN THIS?"

"…I'm not too sure. Usually you would take pills with water, but being conscientious of rations is quite commendable."

"Now you tell me…" She then turned her palms towards herself, "Should I be feeling anything?"

"Just a small doze into unconsciousness within the next few seconds."

"Gotcha. Anyway, Kana I'm leaving it to you…"

"I've got you!"

.

.

.

"I'm not feeling it."

"Give it a few more seconds."

.

.

.

"So, now that we've got a second, have any of you seen a dragon around?"

"The winged, reptilian kind?"

"Yes!" She seemed hopeful at his answer. "Two to six wings, can probably talk, has a thing for treasure?"

"Outside of a storybook? No, I have not."

"Dang. Fine, another question: What's up with you, Hetzl?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know. You talk about yourself like you're in the third person, then you contradict yourself. I'm betting on some kinda multiple personality thing, am I close?"

"From a certain point of view."

"Hm. And you, Seth? Fashion Statement?"

"The pants? Thanks, I just bought them a few days ago, and I was hoping they looked good."

"…You're joking, right?"

"I thought it would be funny… Just a side-effect of my Semblance."

"There's _that_ word again. What the heck's a Sem- Oop! There it is!"

Morgan began to stumble.

"I got you!" Kana said, bracing himself for her collapse. Soon, she was on his back, out cold.

"Well, that seems to have settled it. Steven, if you would be a dear?"

"Urgh…"

And with that, Crane fell backwards, into the outstretched arm of the assistant professor.

Hetzl, in turn, let out a small crack, as his iris changed from black to blue.

"So, kid…. Ever play Blackjack?"

* * *

It was darkness, pure darkness, as far as the eye could see.

Depth was a thing of the past, with no idea of what was up, down, forward, or back.

And the silence was the worst part. No slow drone, no whispering wind, nor even the single sound of a heartbeat.

"Naga's tears, this is boring…"

It was here Morgan stood, scanning the area for any signs of… anything.

"Are my dreams really this dull?"

"Do you not remember any recent ones you've had?" From behind, Crane appeared, walking slowly with his arms crossed behind his back. Morgan jumped at the voice, but straightened when he came into view.

"…Eh, I don't really get much sleep. Even when I do, it's pretty light. Got it from my dad, apparently."

"Sounds difficult. My sympathies."

"I've gotten used to it. So, where is this supposed to be?"

"Your subconscious. My Semblance allows me to enter and manipulate the dreams of anyone I desire. Right now, I have simply left it blank."

"That's cool. So, is that what a Semblance is? Like, a special power?"

"Are you telling me you have no concept of a Semblance? And you claim to have defeated Raven Branwen and her tribe? Quite a poor lie to believe."

"I just used magic." Morgan shrugged her shoulders. "And honestly, Kana did most of the work."

"Magic, you say? Now that's an interesting answer. There are very few people who can use magic, and they tend to only exist in Fairy Tales. Care to tell me how you brought them to life?"

"Eh, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let's just say magic isn't as rare where I come from."

"And that, dear Morgan, is what I'd like to find out." Before Morgan could say anything else, a blinding light appeared between them. She turned towards it, before Crane spoke up again.

"Behold your deepest memory, held within your subconscious. This is the moment you entered the world. Now, I assume your mother and father would enjoy some privacy during these moments, so please think of a much more informative time in your life."

"Hmm… I guess the secret's out, then." Morgan shrugged her shoulders. "First off, as you can probably guess, Kana and I aren't from around here."

"I had assumed that much."

"No, you really haven't. Kana and I, we're not only strangers to this land… We're not even from this _world_."

Instantly, the surroundings changed, into a luxurious hall adorned with several banners. At the end of the hall, a group of people stood in front of a throne.

At the head of the group, a man with short blue hair was busy looking through several papers in his hand. His right arm was unarmored, giving clear view of some sort of stylized birthmark down his shoulder.

To his right, a woman with bright pink hair tied in a ponytail, held a small child. Behind her, another child was staring at the cradled boy, a young girl with long blue hair.

To the man's left stood another, much more armored man with brown hair.

Finally, there were two more: a teenaged girl with her blonde locks tied into pigtails, and another young man who seemed to be wearing some sort of cooking pot his head.

"This is the Royal Family of Ylisse, where I come from."

"Interesting. I assume the man with blue hair is the King?"

"…Exalt, but same difference. That's Exalt Chrom, descendant of the Hero-King Marth, as well as his sister, Lissa, second Princess of Ylisse. She's the blonde girl there."

"Is Exalt only a title for males of the family, or is it a title that is inherited?"

"…It's just a title you inherit. Anyways, that's his wife, Olivia, and their two kids: Inigo and Lucina. Inigo's the boy, while Lucina's the girl. The guy with the pot on his head is Donnel, the greatest warrior of Ylisse and Lissa's husband. Finally, the big guy in armor is Frederick the Wary, guardian of Ylisse's royal family since they were kids."

"Interesting. Where do you fit into all this?"

"…Okay, what's your deal?"

"Pardon?"

"Listen, I've told this story too many times to too many people, and not a single one has acted like you. Where's your denial? Disbelief? Usually when I bring up the whole 'other world' thing, people don't just say _interesting_."

"My apologies. Intriguing, then." He gestured for her to continue, but was answered with a glare. "Very well…"

*A-HEM*

"This seems _incredibly_ unlikely. There is no such thing as different worlds. I don't believe you. Disbelieving scoff. Satisfied?"

"Fine. Anyway, Exalt Chrom rose to the throne when his eldest sister, Emmeryn, was killed in the Second Ylissean-Plegian War. The first was perpetrated by his father, and the second was retaliatory against them by the Plegian King Gangrel. Any questions?"

"None."

"You don't even want to know what Plegia is?"

"Another nation that entered multiple conflicts with your Ylisse. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say it stemmed from religious differences. I am a professor, you understand?"

"Fine. Anyway, when he took the throne, he had big shoes to fill, fighting off the remaining Plegian forces, as well as uniting his fractured nation. Luckily, he had help. Among his friends was the genius tactician Robin, the man who could do the impossible…" Despite the words, Morgan did not seem passionate. "With his help, Chrom was able to defeat Gangrel, another warlord named Walhart, and finally the fell dragon Grima."

Crane remained silent.

"Really? Nothing about the dragon?"

"Is the dragon really the most unbelievable part?"

"…Ugh. Now you're just taking the fun out of it. Anyway, Robin was my father."

"…My condolences."

"Huh?"

"Despite his status, he seems to be the only one missing from this meeting, and they don't seem intent to wait for their master tactician. While I can assume there was a falling out…" He didn't seem to want to continue.

"It's fine. He died before I was born. Ironically, he was the _only_ casualty against Grima. Perfectionist to the end, he was." An unexpected amount of vitriol, but Crane merely filed it away.

"So, as his next of kin, I assume they wanted you to learn the skills of strategy, and perhaps serve as his successor."

"…Maybe. They would've been disappointed, anyway. No, the reason I lived in the castle wasn't just because my dad was a family friend. I lived in the castle because instead of calling him Exalt, I called him Grandpa."

Before Crane could say anything else, a new figure entered the hall. It was a fairly young woman, with long blue hair, carrying a young girl on her shoulder, with a similar hair color.

"Lucina!" Chrom called, his voice suddenly audible. "You're back, I see." With his eyes away from his daughter, he handed the papers off to Frederick and walked towards the woman. When they met, he gave her a large hug, encompassing even the small girl. When he broke it off, he then gave a small tussle to the girl's hair. "How has Morgan been doing?"

"She's been fine." The woman answered. "She's recently started talking, even. Is there anything you'd like to say, honey?"

"…Gwampa…" The small girl reached out, grasping one of Chrom's fingers, making the two laugh.

"Ok, I'm pretty sure that's nothing like what I sounded like at that age."

Crane remained silent, simply tilting his head, while placing a hand under his chin.

"Really? NOTHING?"

* * *

The train slowly creaked to a stop.

Ace stared outside the window, observing the Mistrali scenery that contrasted the city of Vytal. Whereas he usually saw nothing but concrete and steel, he was now surrounded by an ocean of trees, with the bare stone construction surrounding the station the only sign of engineering. He sighed.

Who would want to live out here?

Oh, reject your capitalist life, become one with nature. La-di-da, that was nothing but the ravings of madmen. The people who spouted that obviously actually never spent a day in the woods by themselves. No food that you didn't bring or kill. No shelter that you didn't build or steal. Predators, stalking you, waiting for that one moment when your guard is down. That humbling feeling of being completely alone, with no one to talk to, or weep for you if you perish.

And the _bugs_. Ugh.

The only reason you would live in the woods is if there was nowhere else you could.

And that brought him to the reason he was out here: The White Fang.

Well, actually, there was this Morgan and Kana he was supposed to meet, but apparently the only way to find them was to find Clune Muride. So, ipso-facto, he guessed.

He gave another sigh. Ever since he and Cheshire had gotten here, he'd felt a bit of sympathy for them. He knew first-hand how cruel people could be. He knew how much revenge gnawed at you.

They were still doomed.

He was doomed, too, once. Destined to go down in history as a monster, defeated by the hero. Whoever the hell that was going to be. Maybe they'd be the next monster?

But then Chesh came along.

And that was really it. All it takes to stop a monster like him was a friend. Love.

Was that what the White Fang lacked? Couldn't be. If they needed friends so badly, they could obviously turn to each other. Was it an echo chamber, just constant hate and anger marinating the same message over and over again?

"Damn it. Now I sound like friggin' Lahr. Asshole."

He needed to focus.

"YOU DAMNED BRAT, GET OUTTA HERE!" The voice jostled him out of his focus, turning his attention to a nearby food vendor. The owner was yelling at a small child, who was retreating in fear. Judging by the ragged and dirty clothes he was wearing, he probably wasn't anyone's kid. Ace clenched his fist.

It was a kid, man. What could showing a little kindness cost you? With another sigh, he released his fist, and walked over to the vendor.

"Whaddiya want?" The man asked, with a surprising amount of vitriol. Ace was confused, but noticed the man kept shifting glances at his ears.

Oh, shit. He was a 'Faunus', right. Kept forgetting that. Guess this guy wasn't a fan.

"I'll take two apples and a loaf of bread." The man grunted, but grabbed the items from the shelf behind him. Ace noticed that he didn't give them over straight away, instead holding out his hand for a card as if Ace was going to steal it. He could see the White Fang's logic, now. Just a bit better.

After paying, Ace took the food, and dashed towards the direction the boy fled. He didn't have to travel far, as the boy eventually ended up further down the tracks, sitting on an abandoned bench. Ace walked up beside him, and held out an apple. The kid noticed it, but slightly slid away.

"It's ok, kid." Ace tried to get his voice to a gentle tone. "You seemed hungry, just take it. No strings attached." The kid eyed the apple, then looked into his eyes, and then back. He then snatched it from his hands, before digging in with a fervor borne of hunger. Ace sighed, but then plopped himself down next to him.

"There's nothing worse than times like that." He began, but the boy only leaned an ear. "It sucks because that guy's what you're going to remember. I hope you'll remember me, instead. Remember that there are good folks with the bad." The boy finished the apple, which prompted Ace to grab the other from the bag. The boy took this one as well, digging in with the same ferocity.

Shit, what would Chesh say?

"Anyway, you got a name kid?"

The boy kept munching.

"Yeah, my name's Ace…"

Still munching.

"…So, I hope you understand that there are plenty of adults who would help you. Yeah, plenty are like that guy, but there's a limit to how much people can tune out suffering, y'know?"

The boy finished the apple, so Ace grabbed the final loaf of bread, handing it to the boy.

"'Cause if you just shut yourself out, and start believing what guys like that say, you'll be proving him right. You gotta be strong, and being strong means being brave. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is… don't be afraid. As many people as there are who'll hurt you, there are just as many of those who'll help you. You just have to be brave." Well, hopefully that doesn't include running into a pedophile or something.

Damn it, shut up, mind.

"Anyway, you want to come with me? I can take you to the police, get you under their watch…"

The boy took off, after finishing the last bite of bread. While he may have been running with his top speed, Ace could've effortlessly caught him, and taken him to the police by force. Was that the right thing to do, though?

Damn it, what _would_ Chesh do?

* * *

"So, your mother is the future version of the Lucina there, presumably from another timeline?"

"…Uh, yeah. Exactly. Uh… Thought I was going to have to explain that part…"

"Professor, remember?"

"Well, yeah. My mom and a couple other warriors from an alternate timeline came into ours, helped us defeat Grima, and couldn't go back. So, some of them, who had royal blood like my mom, stuck around the castle. And that was my life. It was pretty normal, considering."

"Considering you were royalty?"

"Hey, most royals were pretty bad, but my Grandpa was a decent Exalt. It wasn't until, like, 15 years down the line that everything went to Hell."

"And how so?"

"So… Turns out there's another world, which serves as this weird sort of nexus between most of them. There existed this dark dragon, called Velezark, who managed to get unleashed. So, in order to combat it, these two kids called upon a whole bunch of heroes across time and space. Only, something went wrong somewhere, and they weren't called in their prime. It was when they were still pretty young and weak. So, they come in, train up, get stronger, and kill Velezark. The end. Close the curtains. Except…"

Crane tilted his head, as if he was raising an imaginary eyebrow.

"See, before their prime means my parents were both brought there before they met. So, at the end of the day, they didn't fall in love. Tough luck, but my own timeline was still good. Except it wasn't. You see, Velezark, and by extension all dragons, has a creator. Known as the Father of All Dragons, he created them with immortality. Pretty cool, right?"

"I would hardly call immortality a blessing."

"…Well, you've ruined the surprise. Turns out, immortality just meant that the dragons were doomed to depression, loneliness, and then finally insanity, so they've got to die to be put at peace. There are literally dozens of legends about it. Medeus, Mila, Duma, Loptyr, Ashunera, and plenty more. So, the Father wants them all dead, and he basically declared the one timeline where my parents killed Velezark the 'true' timeline. Thus, he did this thing he called Coalescence. Basically, he shut down all the other timelines, trimming the fat, and keeping the one timeline true. Unfortunately, Kana and I were the fat."

Morgan shrugged her shoulders.

"To make a long story short, he took pity on us. He said he didn't want to erase us from existence, but it was necessary that we weren't born in this new timeline. So, he gave us this task, as if that's some kind of mercy, and sends us from world to world. We find the Dragon, a Hero to kill it, and an Oracle to guide them. This world is just the most recent."

"Quite the tale. I will admit, you have my interest. However, now that I know where you claim to be from, allow me to verify you are telling the truth…"

With nary another word, Crane turned, and began walking down the hall. Morgan, curious, soon followed him. Within a few seconds, they came across the exit, a large set of double doors, flanked by two soldiers.

"You have to get these two to pull the doors…"

Crane ignored her, and simply waved his arm, causing the doors to open automatically.

"…Or you can just do that."

The two continued walking, and as they continued to wander around the castle, the area around them seemed to fluctuate. Sometimes it would be highly detailed, with murals and tapestries lining the walls, while other times it would simply be a blank wall with cracks. Sometimes the ceiling would be substantially high, while other times it would approach a more reasonable height.

"Has it been a while since you've begun this task?"

"It's been a few years."

"Your memories of this castle are fragmented, incomplete. Your mind cannot form an accurate form like it had in the hall."

"Well, I didn't actually live here that much. I visited, sure, but my mom had her own house."

"I see. Did you stay in a guest room while here?"

"Uh… Yes. It's on the next floor up, fifth door on the left." Crane turned towards a nearby staircase, and followed her instructions. They came upon the door in question, which Crane opened with a tug.

Inside, they came upon the woman they had saw in the hall. Her daughter was currently asleep in a nearby crib, as Lucina rubbed her cheek to soothe her. When she felt satisfied, she turned away from the crib, sitting down on the bed with a sigh.

"Um, I'm confused. Aren't I asleep here? How can I have memories of this?"

"Keep in mind, this _is_ a dream. You are filling in the blanks, building memories into what you believe would have transpired."

"So, you're saying this whole thing here never actually happened?"

"Not at all. This event is buried in your subconscious, to be sure. However, with a simple urge, this is what you remember most in this room. I wonder why…"

*KNOCK*KNOCK*KNOCK*

His musings were interrupted by a knock on the door. While it didn't seem that loud, it caused Lucina to jump up, standing in a ready stance with one hand on the crib's edge. This in turn woke up Morgan, who turned to look at her mother.

"Hello? Marth?" A young girl's voice rang out, before opening the door. The young Lucina poked her head inside, causing the older Lucina to lower her guard. "Is it ok to come in?"

"Yes, it's fine." Lucina answered, grabbing a reaching Morgan and hoisting her up on her shoulder. She then walked to the bed, sitting down and placing Morgan on her lap. She then gave the bed a pat. "Come. Sit down."

The girl took a second, but soon hurried over. However, she didn't speak, instead staring into the older woman's eyes, who gave a smile in return.

"I forget it's there, too." Lucina said, snapping the younger girl out of her stupor.

"I'm sorry…" She replied, "Mother and Father told me. I… Is it true?"

Instantly, Lucina's lips stopped smiling.

"Yes…" She began to stroke Morgan's hair, who leaned towards her. "I know it must feel strange, but it's true. I just want you to know, I'm not going to take anything from you. I'm not going to make any trouble. I-I'm not…" She seemed to stammer a bit, struggling to continue.

"…I'm glad I turn out so pretty."

Lucina seemed stunned, but as the younger girl tilted her head, she began to giggle. Then, she began to laugh.

"I'm glad I was so cheerful at your age."

"…Are you not anymore?"

Lucina didn't answer, at first. She simply looked at the daughter on her lap, still stroking her hair.

"Not anymore. But I _am_ happy." Seeing the younger girl's confused look, she gave a small chuckle. "One day, you'll understand. Trust me."

"Can I be as strong as you? And Father, too, one day?"

"Of course you can. Perhaps even better, and I'll always be there to help you, and so will little Morgan, here." She hoisted the baby close to her chest, nuzzling her head as she gave a small giggle at the touch. Unfortunately, this diverted her eyes from her younger self, who was staring at the girl with a different look.

A scowl.

She soon relaxed, as Lucina lifted her head and stared back. She then gave a smile, which was soon returned.

Throughout all of this, Morgan remained unmoved. Crane, taking a small glance, soon asked.

"Nothing you would care to mention about this?"

"…Nothing you need to know."

"Very well. I won't pry." He then snapped his fingers, and the room disappeared, back into the black void Morgan first found herself in. "You have convinced me, at least for now. Once I have finished, I will release you, but I would hope to ask a favor. This land of yours, Ylisse: I'd like to know more about it. This Father of All Dragons, your magic, it interests me more than you could ever know."

"Hmph… Anything of value you can offer?"

"Protection. Though you may be strong, you are new to this world. There are many things here that may never have made their way to Ylisse. How advanced are your munitions? Gunpowder, Dust, and the like?"

"Yeah, those things. Pretty fast, but not unbeatable. It doesn't help that you guys don't take a proper stance. You tend to miss a lot."

"Perhaps, but there are many more surprises in store for you two. My students may be young, but I would trust each of them with nearly any task, and only Hetzl, Brandt, and Janos use weapons. All of the others use their Semblances and other skills to surprise and subdue their opponent, defeating them with clever applications they could not prepare for. However, I do not assume this is unique, as should you. You can never know when an easy battle can suddenly turn with a simple trick."

"…Hmm, you're making a good point." Morgan crossed her arms, and looked up at nothing. "…Fine. Sounds good to me, but I'm not making a promise until I ask Kana. We work together, so neither of us can go and make decisions on our own. And I'm laying down a ground rule: The second we find the Hero, the Oracle, or the Dragon, we move to get the cycle started. If you don't want to help, then this little deal is over. We leave, no exceptions. Sound acceptable?"

"Absolutely." Crane stuck out his hand for a shake, which Morgan took. After they broke off the shake, he continued. "Simply walk in any direction, and you should wake up. As for me, I will need to question the captain. Please discuss anything you will with my students in the meantime." And with that, he turned away, slowly fading as the distance increased.

As Morgan began walking, she suddenly had a niggling doubt.

"…Did they take my handcuffs off?"

* * *

"Hit me!"

"…The Eight of Hearts."

"That's 18. Your move, kid."

"Hetzl, please stop this…" Adrian spoke up, his head in his hands.

"Why? I'm winning!"

"Not for long, you aren't!" Kana spoke up, staring at his single card, "Hit me, too!"

"…The Three of Spades."

"That's… uh, 12, right?"

"You got it, kid!"

"Then hit me again!"

"I can't. The rules state that Hetzl must stay before you are allowed to continue. If he were to receive one of the other three suits of three, he would win with no contest."

"I'm staying, Mary."

"Then, nevermind… The King of Diamonds."

"Ha! The King, that means I win!"

"Incorrect. It means you lose."

"…But he won with a King last time…"

"Because he had 11, which the King would increase to 21."

"Wait, the King is ten?"

"Yes, as is the Queen and Jack. The Ace, on the other hand, can be substituted as one or eleven, depending on whether or not it would lead to a bust."

"That's what you did, by the way. Tough luck kid, now pay up!"

Kana grumbled, but soon reached into his cloak, before pulling out a small stiletto. It was covered up by a small sheathe, but it's design was exquisite, with purple stitching arranged in a sort of circular pattern. He gave it to Hetzl, who looked over it before slipping the blade slightly out.

"So, what's this one?"

"That's one of my Papa's first knives, back when he was Mama's butler. It's Nohrian steel, so it's much stronger than any Hoshidan shuriken. He gave it to my older brother, who gave it to me."

"You're tuggin' on my heartstrings, kid." He then placed it on the ground, next to a staff and a small tiara. "But you'll have to do more than that to get these back. Ready for another round?"

"Hetzl, please. Just return his things and keep a tally." Adrian finally raised his head.

"Just let me have a little fun, here."

"I doubt Morgan will be happy with this when she wakes up." Janos chimed in.

"It's been what, twenty minutes? Crane'll take his time."

"AH! CELICA! TERRORS! _CELICA RIDING TERRORS_!"

"…You were saying?"

"Morgan's up!" Brandt spoke, sticking her head through the curtain. They were both in a nearby tent, one of many surrounding the game. She then turned back towards the tent. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. That's how he wakes you up. Nothing like a shot of adrenaline, you know?"

"Last chance, Hetzl."

"Ok, I'm up!" Morgan stumbled out of the tent. "What'd I miss, Kana?"

"I learned a new game!" He seemed to cheer, but suddenly looked downcast. "I'm not very good at it, though."

"It's ok. Can't be good at everything. So-" She suddenly stopped, as she gained sight of Hetzl's small pile of winnings.

"What is Hetzl doing with Sunrise, Percial, and Eclypto?"

"Uh, he wanted to bet, and I didn't have any money."

"Let me be clear!" Adrian jumped in. "He would return all of his possessions with due haste once they were done."

"Yeah. Probably."

"Oh, you bet he will. You don't know who you've messed with. Mary! Set me up!"

"Oh, please no."

"…Ugh, these handcuffs suck. Hey, Brandt. The professor and I have sorted it out, you mind grabbing the keys?"

"I'm sorry, Morgan." Janos spoke up, "Under no circumstances are we to remove Dampening Cuffs without Professor Crane's express permission."

"Seriously? Guh. Fine, if he won't take five seconds to let you know, I'll do it myself. HRRNGH!" She gave a grunt, and began to stretch her arms apart.

"…You know those suppress your Aura, right?" Seth spoke up. "You're going to hurt yourself…"

"…Ugh, friggin' Ignis. Never when I need it…" She then turned towards Kana. "Kana, can you loosen these up for me a bit?"

"You got it!" Reaching over, he grabbed two ends of the chain.

"Again, you're going to hurt-"

*SNAP*

"…yourself…"

"Thanks Kana." She then waved her arms, enjoying the lack of restriction. "Anyway, let's start. Deal me, Mary."

Nobody moved.

"Mary?"

"Ooooh, boy. Now, what did you find Adrian?"

"Your doom. Mary, please?"

"My apologies… The Four of Hearts."

"Sweet!"

.

.

.

"Right?"

.

.

.

"…How do you play this, again?"

* * *

The flight was actually pretty peaceful.

Granted, that was always a given with Blue flying, but Jimmy expected some kind of talking. Or, yelling, maybe. Honestly, maybe he was just confusing quiet with peace.

Huh, guess he _was_ still a military boy at heart.

He gazed to his right, where Rudie was sitting, nose deep in a book. He really needed to get back into that. Maybe she had a recommendation?

Across from him, Virginia and Jojo were both focused on their scrolls. Kilroy was with Blue, and Tommy was missing, so that probably meant he was with them. Probably left a little spider, though.

Ah well, guess there wouldn't be a better chance.

"So, Virginia, kid." His voice snapped their attention. "Be honest with me, how ready for this _are_ you two?"

"Beyond ready." Jojo replied, with a confident smirk. Virginia followed suit, with a small nod.

"That's good. Real good, kid. Best at Atlas, right?"

"…One of the best."

"Always someone better, right? Nothin' to be ashamed of. Tommy ever tell you about our old days with Pepper?" After the two shook their heads, he continued. "Ol' Pepper picked all of us up as kids, not much older than you. You'll never get him to admit it, but Kilroy and I always had that little contest going."

"I guess he won, huh?"

Jimmy narrowed his eyes.

"You got something you wanna say?"

"Nope." Jojo gave a shrug.

"Hmph. That so? Where're you two from?"

"Tuscon."

"Heath."

"…Don't know where those are. Atlas?"

"Heath is, but Tuscon is in Vacuo."

"So, not Atlas bred, huh? What made you pick it, then?"

"The military. What else?"

"I dunno. Plenty of mines, right?"

"Heh, if you're planning on doing nothing with your life but surviving." Jojo shrugged, "Sorry, but I have plans to make a difference."

"Making a difference?" Jimmy gave a small chuckle. "Kid, you ever hear the phrase, 'No one has ever won a fight by getting shot?'"

"'Only by shooting.' Yeah, I've heard it. What about it?"

"The military doesn't plan on winning any war. They want to sit still, pretend everything is under control, because they're afraid of starting a fight. Ironwood? He's soft. You ever been to one of his rallies? Makes me sick."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jojo seemed to actually be getting emotional, glaring daggers at Jimmy, who responded with a smirk.

"Have you ever been to one?" He repeated, "Look at our new robots! We built 'em bigger and better! Feel safe everybody! Forget about the threats around every corner! Trust us! We've got your back!" He raised his hands in mock excitement, before placing them back down. "Trust _me_ , that's nothing but PR. This:" He gestured to the airship, "This is us shooting. No announcement. No press. No accountability. We get in, then we get out."

"…Like you did?" He looked pleased, as if he had just pulled a trump card. Jimmy just laughed again.

"Is that it? Mad I tried to leave?"

"Not mad, just unimpressed. From what Mr. Stardust said, you were supposed to be the best of the best. Then you ran away. Faked a suicide to get away. Why'd you do it? Why'd you turn your back on your team?"

"My team?" Jimmy seemed morose for a second. "…Atlas's team. Pepper's team. Now, Tommy's Team. Did you think we all sat around a campfire singing songs about friendship and love?" He shook his head. "No. We were all there because we wanted something. Money, power, survival. You name it, Pepper promised it."

"And yet you still left."

"'Cause he promised what he couldn't deliver. And that, kid, is how deals work. Got to keep your promises, or others won't keep theirs."

"So, you're saying we're all opportunists, then? That everyone here just wants something?" Jojo shook his head. "Sorry, but like I said, I'm here to make a difference."

"…And you make it sound so bad." Jimmy gave a sigh. "You'll get it one day, kid."

And with that, silence reigned between them. Virginia looked between them, and then spoke up.

"…Well, if you're still interested, both my parents served, so the Headmaster invited me on their recommendation."

"You're right." Jimmy said, strange sincerity in his voice. "That was rude of me. Any plans? After this?"

"Well, I plan to earn a permanent place under Mr. Stardust's future operations."

"Fair enough. Believe it or not, that's what Tommy said to me, back all those years ago under Pepper. As you can tell, that didn't end up happening, so I'd at least set up a few more options. Never know when the commander will be stabbed in the back, you know?"

"…I'm sorry?"

"-Allegedly, of course. Not that I would know. I was off the team at the time."

"Wait, what are you-"

"How is everyone doing?" The crisp voice of Tommy broke in, stopping the conversation in its tracks.

"You're gettin' predictable, Tommy!" Jimmy called, without looking at him, keeping his eyes on the two younger members of the team.

"What do you mean by that? I just came to check on you all."

"Sure you did." Jimmy then laid on his back, his hands curled behind his head in a faux-pillow. "Anyway, how long do we have until touchdown?"

"Well, about two hours."

"Good. Wake me up when that comes around."

* * *

"…So, in conclusion, I would just like to know the location of your base of operations, so I can perform my due diligence as a Mistrali citizen and report a group of known terrorists to the authorities."

"W-What are you?" The one who answered was Athine, bound by chains, upside-down over a spiked pit. Her surroundings appeared to be a gothic dungeon of some sort, with several more chains suspended from the ceiling.

"A poor question. 'What' instead of 'Who.'" Crane was the only other person present, standing slightly away from her, arms folded behind his back. "My name is Cassius Crane, and what I _am_ , you could say, is a powerful bounty hunter."

"So, a bounty hunter…" Athine seemed to regain some sort of calm, and replied icily. "So, I suppose Havos have put you up to capture me?"

Crane seemed honestly confused for a second, putting his hand to his chin in contemplation.

"Oh, so you are the one who attacked that family. Hmph, I will never understand Adrian's luck. Regardless, I am not as interested in a single bounty as much as I am a potential army lying in wait in the woods. So, if you simply give me the location of your base – which I can verify, so lies will be met with punishment – we will free you."

"You think I would betray my brethren of the White Fang for my own freedom?"

"Yes. Was that not clear?"

"Forget it. Do what you will to me, but I would never betray them!"

"Don't be so dramatic." Crane snapped his fingers, and the surroundings began to change. Within seconds, the two were now surrounded by several White Fang soldiers, which Athine recognized as her own men. They then began to file into a truck, and Crane soon followed, with her still restrained by chains, now seeming to be held by nothing.

"Wha-? How?"

"Calm down. This is just a memory of yours." Crane seemed bored, as he sat in the seat she would usually occupy.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?"

"Oh, my – trees, trees, trees, and more trees. Do you really not pay attention at all to directions? You simply pass it off to your subordinates? That is poor form for a captain. It makes my job that much harder."

"STOP TALKING! ANSWER MY QUESTION!"

"That's an oxymoron. Now, calm down before I lose my patience."

"NO! NOT UNTIL YOU EXPLAIN WHY- MMPH!" Athine suddenly found herself interrupted by some tape that had appeared over her mouth.

"And my patience has now been lost. For the gods' sake, you are making snarky comments of disbelief after every sentence preferable." He did not turn at all to look at her, and the rest of the ride was filled with nothing but muffles from the captive captain. They soon arrived at the Hephaestus Facility, and rode towards the back, where two other members where standing guard. One approached the car, looked inside, and nodded to the other, who pushed a nearby button to raise the garage door.

The truck then drove inside, as the door closed behind them. Her men and Crane began to file out, and she was forced to follow, as they began to line up in attention. Athine was facing the back of some of her soldiers, so she was not able to see who they lined up for, but as they began to bend forward, their arms crossed over their chests, she could see the head of that person.

It was a fairly tall woman, with long platinum hair spilling down her back. Her skin was flawless and rather pale, able to be seen due to her lack of a mask. She instead wore a pure black combat suit, and was obviously a Faunus judging by the large horns sticking upwards, out of her head. However, the one thing anyone would notice, that still gave Athine the worst feeling as she gazed upon them, were her eyes.

They were dark, black cesspools, with cracks forming out across the ends. They contained almost nothing an eye should, no iris, no retina, or veins. There was only a single red pupil in each eye, gazing upon her men with a sort of professional stare.

"Good afternoon, Lady Blair." It was Harkin who spoke, raising his head. "Reporting back from-"

.

.

.

Silence. Complete silence. Harkin had simply stopped talking, as if his lips were muffled the same way hers was. Then, they all disappeared in an instant.

"Heh." Crane spoke, "I almost can't believe it. Working with the White Fang?"

Athine suddenly found the tape covering her mouth gone, allowing her to speak. Before she could, however, Crane took the initiative.

"I change my mind. You will take me and my students directly to your base, as soon as possible."

"I already told you, I would never-GAH!" She exclaimed in surprise, as the chains began to unbind, reforming themselves into a single chain attached to each limb, stretching out into the darkness.

"I don't care. Besides, that girl, Blair? She is no Faunus. Whatever lies she told you, she and her siblings are only using you to their own ends. And when they are finished, your fellow White Fang will be in more dire straits than _anything_ the authorities of Mistral could possibly do to you."

"W-What do you mean?"

"She and her siblings are evil incarnate, with a lack of empathy or compassion. I have made it my mission to hunt each of them down, and I will not let any single life stand in my way. So, before I lose what little patience I have left, allow me to tell you one thing." He punctuated this with another snap, and Athine felt the chains begin to pull.

Was… was he quartering her?

"You cannot die, here. This is simply a dream, of which I am in control. However, the mind is a simple thing, able to be deceived rather easily if you know where to manipulate it. The pain will feel as real as you believe it should. Therefore, when that pain grows large enough that your body is convinced it is dead, you will simply wake up. And when you do, we simply need to knock you out again to come back."

The chains gave another pull, and Athine could not argue about the reality of the pain.

"Need I say any more?"

* * *

"Alright... Hit me again, Mary!" Despite his earlier confidence, Hetzl's voice was now in a growling pitch, brimming with a hint of anger. Getting a look at him, it was not hard to see why.

He was shaking slightly, either by the cold of the afternoon air in Mistral or the fact that he was only in his underwear. His jacket was gone, being worn by Morgan, who also had his pants, shoes, and socks tossed negligently behind her.

"…The Nine of Hearts." For whatever reason, Mary was wearing Janos's hoody, while the boy himself was shirtless. Her T-shirt was beside Kana, who was busy admiring Hetzl's shovel. For some odd reason, he was also wearing Victoria's hat.

"That's sixteen. You better get my hat back."

"I know, squirt."

"Morgan?"

"Hit me."

"The Ace of Clubs."

"SON OF A BITCH!"

"Hey! Language!"

"SHUT UP! YOU _CAN'T_ BE THIS LUCKY!"

"Yes, I can. Got it from my mom. _Your_ luck, however, is just _terrible_."

*CRACK*

"…This game is stupid anyway."

"Aw, now that's just sad."

"I would have to agree, Hetzl. How about you, Boss?"

"Please leave me out of this. Anyway, Morgan, can you please return his possessions?"

"Yeah, _probably_ …" It was hard to miss the sarcastic tone.

"Not helping, Morgan."

"Uuurghh…" The voice of Steven broke the conversation, causing those assembled to whirl their heads.

"I assume that's supposed to mean the professor's up?"

"Yes." None of the students answered, instead Crane himself exited the tent. "I see you've already… acclimated yourself to the students." As he said this, he tugged Victoria's hat off of Kana, and returned it to the girl. "Would it trouble you to return their items?" He then turned his head, "Wait, how were you…"

"You took too long, so I took off the cuffs myself." She punctuated this with a shake of her hands, showing the broken rings.

"Hmph, well, my apologies. Anyway, I would ask that you not do that again, please. Those are expensive to have made."

"No promises." As she said this, she began to take her borrowed jacket off, tossing it to Hetzl along with his other clothes. Kana soon followed suit with his own purloined things.

"Regardless, have you two spoken about our agreement?"

"Oh, yeah. That." She turned towards Kana. "He agreed to help us out in return for some stories. You up for it?"

Kana shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"And there you go."

"Excellent." Crane then turned towards his students, crossing his arms behind his back. "I have urgent news, however. It turns out that Blair has integrated herself within a nearby White Fang compound, and it is safe to assume her siblings reside there as well."

Morgan didn't miss how the students seemed to tense up as he said this.

"I have managed to convince our captive to provide the coordinates back to her base, so we will begin traveling as soon as possible. Any questions?"

Kana raised his hand, excitedly.

"Yes?"

"Yeah, I have a question. Who's Blair?"

"…I'll explain on the way."

* * *

"…So, you didn't explain anything."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't remember you explaining anything."

"Are you sure? I could've sworn I… Hmph, you're right, I never did explain it, did I?"

The two were sitting in the backseat of a White Fang convoy truck, along with all the other humans in their group. Brandt, Wilhelm, Kana, and Athine were all sat in the front.

"So, why don't we start at the beginning?"

"Of course." He crossed his legs, placing his palms together over his knee. "I'm sure you have already met the creatures of Grimm?"

"Yeah, kind of hard to miss the giant black monsters wandering about the wild."

"Yes, the Grimm are creatures without souls, bent on the destruction of the human and Faunus race. They grow stronger with age, and as such, hunters such as myself are required to deal with them."

"Wait, you aren't aware of the Grimm?" Adrian asked. "How have you and Kana survived for this long?"

"Oh, shit. I didn't explain that either. The Hell happened this past hour? Anyway, me and Kana are from another world. Anyway, what do the Grimm have to do with this Blair lady?"

"Wait. Another world? What are you talking about?"

"I mean another dimension with similar rules to this one, duh." She then turned towards Crane, "So, Blair lady-"

"I believe it would be prudent for you to explain it in detail."

"Ugh, do I have toooo?" Morgan tilted her head back as she said this.

"Unless you think I can explain it better."

"Fine." She placed her hands on her knees, and began. "So, like I said, different world. Kana and I aren't actually from the same one, believe it or not. Basically, we're on a mission from an all-powerful dragon god to hunt down dragons across the many worlds. This one, Remnant, is just the most current. For the actual differences between each world – dear Naga, let's just not get into that. Any questions?"

"Who's Naga?" It was Victoria, curiously, who asked that question.

"Dragon God."

"Hmm…"

"How advanced is your society?" That was Mary.

"It depends, there's been a couple, but this is the first time I've seen these." She pointed upwards, indicating the truck.

"Hmm…"

"So, you've never seen Grimm on any of the other worlds?" That was Janos.

"No, but there've been plenty of monsters to kill. Risen, Terrors, Faceless, you name it."

"Hmm…"

"…That explains EVERYTHING!" It was Hetzl's turn.

"Like…"

"That's how you beat me at Blackjack!"

"No, you just suck at it."

"Damn it!"

"Any other questions?"

Silence reigned.

"Good, then-"

"Wait, seriously? None of you have any questions?" Adrian interrupted her speech, earning a frown from Morgan.

"I'm good."

"Me, too."

"Urgggh…"

"Nah."

"I can't think of another one."

"I certainly don't."

"…Guess you're _all_ freaks, then." Morgan finished. "There you go. You have anything left to ask? Preferably without interrupting me?"

"Um, yes. How _do_ you travel-"

"So, Blair lady:" Morgan turned back towards Crane. "What's the deal with her?"

"Excuse me-"

"Yes," Crane answered, "as I said, the creatures of Grimm have an insatiable hunger for those with souls. They are relentless, willing to go through death itself for their next meal, as their ranks will simply refill no matter how many you kill. However, the same can not be said for all Grimm. There exist Grimm of intellect, brought upon by centuries, possibly even millennia of survival. These are known as Ancient Grimm, and simply killing one could take an entire score of professional hunters, and not necessarily without losses. Among these, there exist six Grimm, who have gained the ability to take a sick imitation of human form. Blair is one of them, along with five others."

"…Anyways, can you explain now how-"

"While they may be limited in destructive power by their size, they are no less dangerous than any Grimm due to their abilities. Much like Semblances, each of them has a unique talent that they use with devastating potential. Worse still, they are able to regenerate nearly any wound you can inflict, provided they have enough power. Still, while it may be difficult, I have made it my mission to destroy all six of them and ensure they can never blight the world with their presence again."

"Oh, well that makes sense. So, who named them, then?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Their names. I doubt they crawled out of an abyss somewhere with the name 'Blair' and such."

"I imagine they gave themselves those names."

"Wait, so they _can_ talk?"

"…Yes. Did I not make it clear they take human form?"

"So, they presumably have feelings and stuff, too, right?"

"…I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Like, Grimm are usually mindless monsters, right? It seems that way to me. So, I don't have a problem killing them. People, however, are harder to kill. Not that I haven't done it – and to be honest, that Raven lady totally deserved it – but it's always better to avoid a fight if you can. Have you tried talking to them?"

"Yes." There was no mistaking the anger in his voice. "Believe me, I have spoken with them a fair number of times."

"Then what do they want?"

"The same as any other Grimm, total annihilation of those with souls."

"Then how are they working with these White Fang guys? And not eating them, or whatever."

"Presumably it is part of a plan of theirs to sow destruction, using the White Fang to somehow achieve chaos and death. Why are you having difficulties understanding this?"

"Well, it's none of my business, but this seems like a real personal thing to you. Did they do something to _you_ , particularly?"

"Yes." Then, without prompting, he raised a hand and began to remove his glove. Again, Morgan didn't miss how a few of the students tensed up as he moved. After a few seconds, the cloth came off, and Morgan raised an eyebrow.

His hand was that of a skeleton, with no skin, blood, or flesh. As if to punctuate his point further, he then reached for his neck with the hand, proving full dexterity with his fingers, and untied some knot. With nary a flourish, he removed the mask, showing his head was much the same, that of the unliving. No flesh, hair, nor even eyes. It was almost as if the person she was talking with had died and decomposed within seconds.

"This is the result of trusting them due to their form." The voice was obviously Crane's, but the jaw did not move, instead the skull just turned to 'look' directly at her. Morgan was obviously unnerved, but she was still Morgan.

"So, that's how you can see through the mask, huh?"

"Correct. I hope I do not have to explain I no longer have eyes to see through." He began to put his mask back on, and Morgan noticed that the hat seemed to be stitched on. Once finished, he put his glove back on as well, and returned to looking like a normal freak. "While you may have hesitation with killing them outright, you must believe me: Any weakness you give them, they will capitalize on it with disastrous results."

"Alright, fine." Morgan held her hands up, "I get it, I've dealt with Morphs before, after all. Just wanted to make sure we were fighting evil, here. Not a personal vendetta."

"As long as that isn't in question, any longer." With that, the conversation seemed finished, and Crane leaned backwards in his seat.

'Fantastic. Personal vendetta it is.' Morgan thought to herself. 'By Naga, can't these guys take care of their own damned problems without dragging me into it? How can this get any worse?'

"So, now that you two are done…"

'I hate this world so much.'

* * *

"Are we there, yet?"

"No."

"Then how much longer?"

"I'm not sure. Ask her."

"Brandt?"

"I meant the captain."

"Captain Lady?"

.

.

.

"What was your name, again?"

"I just can't understand it." Athine spoke up. "All three of you, all Faunus, working under that man to betray your own kind. Why?"

Currently, the three were sat in the front, with Wilhelm at the wheel, Kana right next to him, and Brandt in between Kana and Athine. Wilhelm had set up Athine's scroll on the dashboard, currently displaying a map.

"That's just rich." Brandt replied, "You can't betray a race. We were born into it, and just because we are, it doesn't mean we want anything to do with your stupid war."

"This war isn't a choice! It was forced upon us by humans who mistreat us for just being born different! Hide all you want from the truth, but sooner or later you'll see!"

"I've seen plenty of the White Fang, and nothing's impressed me. A bunch of thugs crying about their lot in life as if it justifies the things they do."

"Thugs?!"

"You heard me!"

"Alright, I think that's just about enough of that." Wilhelm cut in, "Kana, is there any particular kind of music you're privy to?"

"…I like singing?" Kana seemed confused.

"Rock it is then." As he said this, he reached down, pressing a large button on the dashboard. As soon as he did, a random voice began to speak.

 _-In other news, some new details have come into light on the recent breach of Vale. According to Headmaster Ozpin of the prestigious Beacon Academy, and corroborated by General James Ironwood of Atlas Academy, the breach was caused by the notorious criminal Roman Torchwick, with the aid of what is believed to be a splinter faction of the White Fang. As more details emerge, we will-_

*FLICK*

 _MASTER! OF! ALLLLLLLLLLLLL!_

"Oh, I hate Arcadia." Wilhelm spoke, before pressing the button down again, turning it off.

"Oh, humans are so terrible! Who would ever trust them over their own kind." Brandt said this in a high-pitched mockery, bracing her hands against her cheek.

"Did you not hear him? He said it was a splinter faction! Obviously a group we have disowned for their methods being too extreme!"

"Too extreme for the White Fang? What, do they torture and kill other members?"

"ENOUGH!" Wilhelm yelled this with what seemed to be a growl, but soon returned to a neutral expression. "Brandt, I would appreciate it if you would stop intentionally antagonizing our captive."

"As opposed to unintentionally being evil for not appreciating crimes done with thinly justified excuses?"

"You'll have to forgive her, Ma'am." Wilhelm turned to Athine. "She has a fair bit of pent up aggression towards the White Fang."

"And you?"

"As for me? Well, I'm mostly apathetic towards them. You may have a point, but your current methods ensure your group will not win in the end. You are doomed to self-destruction, and I do not want any part in that."

"Self-destruction? Are you mad? The White Fang is made up of a unified group of Faunus, all reaching towards the same goal. How would we destroy ourselves?"

"I'm not sure, but then again, the White Fang did not kill _my_ parents."

"Did not kill – What?"

"Go ahead…" Brandt spoke, her voice a low growl, "Tell me why _you_ think they deserved it. I've heard all kinds of reasons. None have made me any less willing to rip your spine out."

Athine couldn't speak for a few seconds. She had long since known that several White Fang members had gone too far, but they were usually excommunicated within a few days of their commander finding out. However, she knew nothing about this girl, or her parents, and for all she knew, there could have been a myriad of reasons. Could they have been working with corporations like the Schnee Dust Company, abusing their fellow Faunus for advantages? Were they counterspies, working to sabotage the White Fang from within? Could it have been an unfortunate sacrifice, a hasty decision made at the worst possible time?

"I don't know why it happened, but it was not an act of cruelty. Whatever the reason, that soldier made the best decision they could at that critical moment."

*WHAM*

Athine honestly expected some form of retribution, but she was surprised who was responsible. Instead of Brandt, the young Faunus, Kana, reached up and slammed her face into the dashboard.

"How could you?!" He yelled out, surprising not only Athine, but Brandt and Wilhelm as well. "It doesn't matter why! Brandt had to live her life without her parents, and you can't even say you're sorry!" He then turned towards Brandt, "Brandt, I'm so sorry you had to go through that!"

"Um… Thanks? I- oof!" Before she could say anything else, she was enveloped in a surprisingly strong hug by the boy, who gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

"It's ok…" He said, breaking the hug and staring into her eyes with his own incredibly sincere ones. "Even if they're gone, know that they still loved you with all their heart, and they wanted nothing more than for you to be happy!"

"Uh… Ok. I'll… I'll keep that in mind."

"Just to add, my parents are deceased as well." Wilhelm spoke up.

"They are?" Kana asked, "I'm so sorry." Repeating the gesture, Kana wrapped a hug around the driver, lacking the pat as he needed to stay focused on the road.

"…You know, it's times like these that make your partnership with Vicky seem less innocent."

"Quiet, you. Maybe if your heart was not consumed by hatred, you could actually enjoy the feel of an honest hug."

"Hey, no fighting!" Kana stood in between them.

"How about you, young Kana? I recall you mentioning your parents at the game with Hetzl."

"Wilhelm, I really don't think-"

"It's ok." Kana interrupted her. "My Mama and Papa are still ok. So is my brother. That's all that's important."

"Oh, well that's good news." Wilhelm replied, "I suppose you're looking for them? With Morgan?"

"No." It was a quick answer, followed by a very sad smirk. "They're ok, and they're happy. To keep it that way, I can't find them."

"Are you sure you're ok with that?"

"…No, but I have to be for them."

"Hm, surprisingly mature for your age." Wilhelm replied, "Speaking of which, how old _are_ you?"

"…Six years younger than Morgan?"

"Wilhelm, seriously!" Brandt spoke up. "Stop asking him such personal questions!"

"It's just conversation. You don't mind, do you, young Kana?"

"That doesn't matter!"

"It's ok." Kana interrupted. "I like to talk about my Mama and Papa. Is there anything you'd like to know?"

Brandt seemed nervous at his question, and stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Ok… I'd just like to know: Were both your parents Faunus?"

"Well, I'm not really a Faunus, but only my Mama was a dragon, like me."

"DRAGON!?"

The three turned to Athine, who suddenly had a terrified expression. With a shake of her head, she returned to a scowl.

"That's impossible. There is no way you could be a dragon Faunus. There is…" She then noticed the two older Faunus and stopped talking.

"…Anyway, so only your Mom was a Faunus? What about your brother?"

"Dwyer should be, but he doesn't have our eyes." He pointed to his own. "Only ours are red."

"So… do you know if your Mom was also his?"

"…I think so?"

"…Kana, do you know what happens to a child born of a Faunus and a human?"

Kana tilted his head, a confused look on his face.

"Well, Faunus and humans aren't supposed to have children. It's pretty hard to do, and when they're born, they aren't really healthy. They're even called 'half-breeds.'"

"And you said I was being insensitive."

"Shut up, Wilhelm." She then turned back towards Kana. "Anyway, I think you may be one of those kids, Kana. Your hair and eyes are like mine."

"I guess it is!" Kana said, "Pretty cool, huh?"

"…Sure. But Kana, people aren't supposed to have these colors naturally, at least, not both. When you do, you're something called an Albino. Since we both have it, I think that means we're both half-breeds." She grabbed a small tuft of her hair, giving it a twirl.

"…And what's wrong with that?"

Brandt stared at him.

"Mama and Papa loved each other, and they both loved me with all their heart. I'm sure your Mama and Papa did, too."

"Heh… I guess they did, didn't they?" She gave a small laugh. "I'm just glad you seem so happy."

"Accept the huuuuug…" Wilhelm's voice whispered, though it's effect was lessened from being a few inches away.

Brandt rolled her eyes, but as soon as Kana spread his arms, she soon found her defenses were lowered. Holding out her own arms, she returned the hug he gave her earlier.

"There you go. Accept the positivity. Lose the hate."

"Shut up, Wilhelm."

"Yes, sweet enough I may just vomit." Athine spoke up, crossing her arms. "So, your parents were not both Faunus, then. Although they may not have deserved their fate, that would certainly explain why."

.

.

.

"…Wilhelm, stop the car." Without argument, Wilhelm pushed down on the brake, slowly coming to a stop.

*KNOCK*-*KNOCK*

"ADRIAN!"

Within seconds, the sound of the back opening and a trio of footsteps rang out. Soon, Adrian, Morgan, and Hetzl were standing outside the window, one of which having a crooked smile on his face.

"Is it time to do the thing?"

Brandt nodded.

"The thing?" Both Morgan and Athine asked the question, but in response, Adrian only covered his face with his palm, displaying the eye symbol on his glove in full force.

"What are you- UMPH!" She was cut off as, with surprising speed, Adrian quickly covered her own face, including her mask. While mildly annoying, what really disturbed her was some kind of strange feeling, as if her Aura was being sucked through his palm. She tried to fight him off, but found his grip was harder than she thought, and soon, she found herself closing her eyes, if only for a moment.

When she opened them, however, something was different. While previously, she was wearing the mask of the White Fang, she suddenly felt her forehead was empty, and her vision was only obscured by the boy's fingers. Ignoring that, however, she suddenly noticed that it wasn't his hand blocking her face, it was actually… her own?

Removing the hand, she stared down, slightly panicked, as she pulled away from Athine, captain of the 7th Division under Clune Muride.

"Wha… What? What's going on?" She was remiss to notice that her voice had suddenly become slightly deeper.

"Hetzl:" 'Athine' began, "If you could?"

*THWAP*

Soon, the body of Adrian Vansel went limp.

"Can you not catch me when you do that? What if I break my nose?"

"Calm down. She's got her Aura up."

"That's not the point."

"Oh, so that's what _Exchange_ means." Morgan held a hand to her chin, "Not a bad Semblance. You've traded your terrible stats for some better ones, even without Aura. Color me impressed."

"Why, thank you." Adrian answered, now from the body of Athine, whose eyes had now turned green to match his. "No one really expects-Wait! What do you mean terrible?"

"Except your speed, fine." She then turned towards Hetzl, who hoisted Athine's unconscious body over his shoulder. "Guess we're hiding in the back until you get us in?"

"That's the plan."

"Got it. Give me a call when you're ready." She began to walk off, only to lean back in the window. "By the way, Kana: Secret's out. You can go ahead and let Brandt and Wilhelm know."

"Secret?" Brandt raised an eyebrow.

"Have fun with that." Morgan then continued walking, catching up to Hetzl.

.

.

.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!"

* * *

Jimmy had finally dozed off, just in time for the ship to begin descending.

Nonetheless, Rudie gave him a small nudge to his shoulder, which he waved off.

"I'm up." He said, slowly straightening in his seat. "We make it?"

"We are currently about eight miles away from the Hephaestus Facility." Tommy spoke up, surrounded by the kid and Virginia. "Hopefully you don't mind a little hike to get there."

"Can't you give the tired guy some leeway?" Jimmy gave a stretch as he said this, before placing his hands on his knees and crossing his legs.

"It's 5:00. I don't think you can feign being tired, Poe." That was Kilroy, leaning up against the door to the cockpit. Blue was probably still inside, making sure the landing was as quiet as possible.

"One thing I don't miss about the old days. So, where we meeting Rocky?"

"Our mole is on his way to this location." Tommy answered, "Right now, we need to decide who will be staying here in case the situation turns sour and we need to retreat. Mrs. Leone?"

"Of course, sir."

"Keep in mind, if you feel compromised or threatened in any way, you must alert us. If this mission is to succeed, we must not take any undue risks. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Mr. Stardust."

"Excellent. James, how about Rudie? Do you feel she will be alright heading into the Facility?"

"She'll be fine. Trust her more than your own little trooper."

Jojo seemed to be about to reply, but was silenced with a wave from Tommy.

"Very well. For the time being, as Mrs. Leone said, only Jojo will be entering the Facility. You, Charles, and Rudie will wait on standby, and only interfere if there is a clear and present danger. Is that acceptable?"

"Sound good, Rudie?"

She nodded.

"There you go."

"Excellent. Now, as for your weapon, am I safe to assume you have brought _Comedy and Tragedy_?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What about potential toxins?"

"I thought you got that I wasn't interested in killing anymore."

"Of course, which is why I took the liberty of having these made." He reached into his suit pocket, and pulled out a box of cigarettes, which Jimmy took. "They are made with an extract of pure Novacaine, an anesthetic of subpar effectiveness. After experimentation we have increased the effectiveness to where it will nonlethally knock nearly anyone out within a few inhalations."

"Gotta hand it to ya, Tommy." He pulled one out of the box, and grabbed a lighter from his backpack. Quickly lighting the end, he gave a quick drag, before letting out a breath. You would be remiss not to notice that a pure white smoke leaked out from his mouth.

"Would be a shame if we decided not to come. Wouldn't want you to have wasted the money."

"I would've considered it a worthy investment, regardless."

"Hey, is it a good idea to let that stuff out?" Jojo spoke up, "What if you get us with it?"

In response, Jimmy took a long whiff of air with his nostrils, before exhaling again, lacking the white smoke.

"Calm down, kid. Just giving it a test drive." He then pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and handed it to Rudie. With nary a word, she placed it into her own mouth, and inhaled.

*KUFF*-*KUFF*

Tommy raised an eyebrow as she began coughing, removing the cigarette so she could gain cleaner air.

"You're ok…" Jimmy said, giving her a couple pats on the back to relieve her discomfort. He then turned towards Tommy. "Give her a second."

"…Very well, though I would suggest we begin moving."

"No problem. You ready, Rudie?"

She gave a small thumbs-up, her head still lowered as she continued coughing, before standing up herself.

With that, Tommy opened the exit of the ship, and everyone except Virginia funneled out.

The group began walking, and before long, they came across a small clearing. With a raised arm, Tommy stopped their procession, and soon, there was a small rustle in the nearby trees. Both Jimmy and Kilroy turned towards it, while Tommy stayed still, soon followed by Jojo and Rudie, who seemed to more repeat the motion than anything.

"Now, now. Hold your fire." A figure soon emerged from the woods, both hands raised. "No need to shoot the messenger."

"Ah, called it. Rocky." The man gave a sly smile, before sticking out his hand for a shake. He was obviously a Faunus, not only because of his White Fang uniform, but also due to the long, bushy striped tail sticking out from the back.

"Glad to see you decided to join our lovely lil' enterprise, Poe." He then turned towards Rudie, "Now who's this lil' lady? Friend of yours?"

"Rudie, Rocky. Rocky, Rudie." She gave a nod, and stuck out her hand, giving another quick shake.

"Pleasure to meetcha." He then turned back towards Tommy. "Anyway, I've got the rounds for the next hour, partnered up with a man two winks short of a lovely nap. As of now, there's only one of our divisions still out, and the rest're still at base. That means you've got a healthy window to get in and out, providin' you're quick."

"Plenty of time. Please, lead the way."

Rocky gave a nod, and turned away, soon followed by the group.

"I do need to give y'all a word of warnin', though." Rocky suddenly turned his head, ever so slightly. "There's been a bit of a… complication."

"A complication? In what way?"

"See, Cap'n: It all happened 'bout a week ago. A couple kids came across the Facility, looking for something or other. Now, they were mostly human, but there was one Faunus among 'em, so we mostly tried scaring 'em off. 'Cept, they didn't respond particularly well. A fight broke out, and one thing led to another."

"Were they taken hostage?"

Rocky just laughed.

"Not like that, Cap'n. When I say, 'one thing,' I mean only _one_ of 'em tore right through two divisions, as well as their heads, and walked up to the complex askin' for the Boss."

Tommy stopped walking, bringing the procession to a halt.

"Kids, you say? I need more information."

"See, that's above my head. All I know is the oldest and the Boss cut a deal, and they serve as a little extra security. As long as you stay out of their way, you should be fine, but they're dangerous."

"I need more than 'dangerous.'"

"…There's somethin' wrong with 'em, Cap'n. First off, they're all strong. So strong, we're nothin' but ants to 'em. They walk around, as if they own the place, one of 'em even making you bow down when you see her. They're also insane, talkin' 'bout this and that, stuff no one can understand. But Cap'n, if there's anything, it's the eyes."

"The eyes?"

"Pure black, with red dots, starin' down your soul. It's got a lot of us shiverin' in our boots, and there's nothing we can do. It's like facing down a Grimm, one that's lived long enough you couldn't stand a chance. And it's not hungry. It's playing with you."

"Is there anything else you can add?"

"Nothin', Cap'n. Like I said, they came in a week ago, and they've mostly been lazin' about the place. I do know, however, that whatever they're looking for, it's not on site. They take a group into the woods every day, only comin' back late at night."

"And I presume they are in the woods right now?"

"Most of 'em. There's one still around, the one who makes you bow. Maybe to keep tags on us, maybe to keep up with whatever agreement they've got. Regardless, you just have to avoid her, above all else. You get me, Cap'n?"

"Understood. Jojo? Do you understand as well?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Then please, continue."

The procession continued, and Jimmy took a quick glance at Rudie, who was now smoking the cigarette without difficulty.

* * *

"Are we there, _yet_?"

"Almost."

"So, Kana, while you have a minute, can you explain how you and Morgan are able to travel between worlds? I tried asking her, but she simply waved me off with something about a magic squirrel dragon."

"Oh, that's my Auntie Lilith!" Kana replied, before holding up his finger, "But she's a squirrel _fish_ dragon, not a squirrel dragon."

"Is there a difference?"

"Nope! Anyway, since she's a dragon, she can use ancestral dragon magic, and can create portals to other worlds easily."

"Wait, I thought you and Morgan were on a mission to kill all the dragons across the worlds, right?"

"No, just the immortal ones."

"But if you can kill them, doesn't that make them mortal?"

"Hmm…" Kana cupped his chin.

"And would you look at that! We're here!" Wilhelm seemed relieved, as the car came upon a clearing, containing a large factory. There was a large, multi-story building, with towers releasing plumes of smoke. There were also several warehouses, and several similar cars parked around the complex. Brandt nodded, before banging on the window again. Soon, it was opened from within, and the head of their professor peered through.

"Good work, you four. Now, there is an entrance around the back, with two guards standing watch. Adrian, since you are the Captain of the Division, they will be using you as confirmation. Simply stay calm, and if asked, you are Athine, of the 7th Division."

"Of course, sir." And with that, Crane closed the window. Wilhelm continued driving, and they soon came across the entrance as described. As Crane said, there were two soldiers standing guard, and as Wilhelm approached, so too did one of them.

"Captain Athine!" He said, catching sight of Adrian. "Are you ok, Ma'am?"

"Why, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Lieutenant Harkin just reported in two minutes ago, and said your Division was attacked by a human! He said when he woke up, you were gone."

"Yes, they were able to capture me, but I escaped with minimal trouble. I then came across these fellow White Fang members and managed to recover a vehicle."

"But… your Division returned with Harkin… and no others have been mobilized. Are they from another location? And isn't he a little young?"

"Yes, but I have a succinct answer for all of those questions: Behind you."

The man raised an eyebrow, but followed the advice, catching sight of a masked behemoth, strangling his compatriot. He was struggling to get out with such ferocity, that he was surprised he didn't hear it, but wasted no time grabbing his weapon. Before he could pull it from the sheathe, however, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, again, his eyes matched up to the blue eye of a scraggly-haired youth.

"Hello!"

*SKRINK*

"…And Good Night!" The unconscious man was now on the ground, the hood caved in from having his head lodged inside it. Hetzl stood over him as Steven slowly came over, his own victim in a similar state.

"Well, why did I even bother if you were going to knock them out within seconds?"

"Because I wanted her quiet." Brandt answered.

"What she said." As he said this, Hetzl gave a few quick knocks on the convoy, and the doors could be heard, opening.

"By the way, when you're a captain, you can just demand that your subordinates follow orders without question." Surprisingly, it was Kana who offered this advice, but he wasn't done. "When everyone wears the same uniform, they are all probably trained to conform without question. That makes them really easy to trick."

"Um… Thank you?"

"Oh, I was just letting you know because Morgan will tell you that with meaner words."

"Adrian, kid." Morgan appeared next to the window. "That was just said. You're the Captain for Naga's sake, just tell them to shut up and get into line. Since they're all wearing the same outfit, I doubt they have the nerve to question a superior."

"Um… Thank you?"

"Don't mention it. How was the ride in the front, Kana?"

"It was fun. Brandt says I may be a… What did you say? Half-breed?"

"Hey! I said that was an insult people say about Faunus like us… or Faunus and a dragon kid? I said you _were_ an Albino."

"Don't worry about it, Kana. Albino's just a shorthand for 'super cool hair and eye color.'"

"If you all are done, I believe it is time to begin the infiltration. Adrian, if you could switch back, since you no longer need her body."

"Right away, sir."

"Is it worth it to change back? He's still got pretty terrible stats."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Oh, forgot to mention that. Basically, my dad could see the potential and other things about people, and I inherited it from him. I've been using it for so long, I can't turn it completely off anymore."

"Well, that explains why he was such a talented strategist, I suppose."

"Yeah, that and the eugenics."

"Hm?"

"Long story. Don't worry about it." She then folded her hands behind her head and began to walk to the entrance door of the facility. "So, do you have any leads on where these guys are? 'Cause unless you feel confident, we've got to get through a couple soldiers."

"I would hope not. The only people aware of us are currently incapacitated, and I would hope we can get to the Homunculi without a fight." As he said this, he reached towards the door handle.

*RUMBLE**RUMBLE*

*CREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAK*

As the sound rang up, the very ground began to shake, and the giant screech of a falling tower rang out. Despite everyone else stumbling, Mary seemed quite unperturbed.

*BREEEEEEE*

"Does anyone else hear that?"

 **Chapter 3 - End:**

 **Author's Notes:**

Hey, all. Technically, I made it within a month... Yay?

So, had a little trouble with this chapter. Mostly on the interaction between Morgan and Crane. Hopefully it turned out ok, but if it didn't, you can always let me know~. I can change chapter content, you know~.

Not much to leave you guessing on, this time. However, there is still the question: Who is Morgan's uncle. Is it Inigo? Nope.

Oh, and I guess the secret's out that Lucina is Morgan's mom and Jakob is Kana's father.

Anyway, I would just like to make a little note. If you think there's a bit of a discrepancy between the two scenes with Lucina, given that Chrom calls her Lucina in the first meeting but Young!Lucina later calls her Marth as if it is a secret, I'd just like to say that the second scene should come before the first.

Regardless, guess I should answer the question of who Crane an dhis students are based off of. This time, I went with the theme of 'Horror.'

The Instructors - Slashers:

Cassius Crane: Based off psychological killers, such as Freddy Krueger of _Nightmare on Elm Street_ and Pennywise from _It,_ but mostly just Freddy. Same ability to manipulate dreams, and nothing else. There's a long story involving Batman, so just take it as read.

Steven Crane: Based off silent slashers, such as Jason Voorhes of _Friday the 13th_ and Micheal Myers of _Way_ \- I mean _Halloween_. Honestly, wasn't going to make a joke you've probably heard 1,000 times.

Team BAHM - Named horror icons:

Adrian Vansel: Based off Abraham Van Helsing, and similar monster hunters. Mostly just the name, and the connection to Vampires, though.

Brandt Strom: Based off Dracula, or similar Vampires like Orlok and such. Named after the director of the Dracula movie, Bram Stoker.

Hetzl: Based off Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or at least the duality of man. The name comes from a sort of portmanteau, but where is his last name? Also, a bit of trivia, there was actually a character named Hetzel in the Tellius Series. Don't believe me? Honest, he was one of Begnion's senators.

Marion Brooks: Based off Frankenstein's monster, as well as other mad doctor icons. Her name comes from a combination of the original author of _Frankenstein_ , Mary Shelly, and the director of my favorite Frankenstein movie, _Young Frankenstein_.

Team SVJW - Common horror monsters:

Wilhelm Fenson - Based off Werewolves. His name comes from a word that kinda sound like wolf, as well as a corruption of Fenrir, the wolf from... Norse mythology... I think?

Seth Armond - Based off Mummies. His name comes from the Egyptian god Set, as well as the pet of Anubis, Ahmut.

Victoria - Based off Witches. Like Hetzl, she seems to be missing a last name. Her first is rather generic, and I blame that on my knowledge of witches. Regardless, I imagine it would have been 2,000 times worse if I named her Sabrina.

Janos Chaine - Based off Ghosts. Named after Jacob Marley from a Christmas Carol, but his last name comes from that one Scooby-Doo villain who rattled the chains. Always thought he was badass. Like, the only other villain I remember from Scooby-Doo was the guy with the purple mask with the horns. That guy always creeped me out.


End file.
